Unconditional
by AmiThest
Summary: Oh, my Favorite! This has been called my greatest work! (especially by mineself) ^_^ Six years ago, Jessie abandoned James and the team... And he's finally about to learn why... (Dark/adult themes)
1. Unforgivable: A Scarlet Past

Unforgivable: A Scarlet Past

Unforgivable   
A Scarlet Past   
_By [Someone who is not Ami][1] _

Warning: this story has been given a PG-13 rating. This story's problem is mostly adult content. Use your own discretion (Anti-shippers WILL be offended). I know it's a kid's show, but you've gotta admit that these two have some of the screwiest childhoods I've ever seen. This story takes place nearly six years after the show, with a few flashbacks to some stuff that happens immediately afterwards. This story is most definitely not acknowledged or endorsed by Nintendo. 

A knock sounded on the door, and the pretty red-head turned to it. Who could it be, at this hour? She rose to her feet, turning off the television. There was silence for a moment, then the knock came again. She walked to the door. 

"Hello?" She called softly, looking through the peep-hole. There was no one there. She checked again, then turned to the coat rack hanging next to the door. She wrapped herself in her coat, it was frigid outside in the snow-covered yard. Jessie slowly pushed open the door, wincing as a gust of freezing wind hit her fragile body. No one was there...But she was sure she had heard the knocks...It was too cold and too late at night for pranks. "Is anybody there?" She spoke up, trying to keep the fear out of her voice. 

She took a deep breath, then stepped totally out of her house, closing the door behind her. "Hello?" She repeated. Suddenly, a flash of red caught her eye behind her. She turned around and gasped. 

A brilliant red rose, barelly more than a bud, hung halfway out of her mail slot. It seemed to glow against the pure white of the snow, taking her breath away. Not so much for it's beauty, more for the person who had left it. It couldn't be...not after all this time. Who else, though? Who else could it be?! 

"James." She whispered. So he'd found her. After all these years, she had been so sure he'd given up. Part of her still hadn't believed that he had ever started looking. She grasped the rose, yanking it out of the mail slot. It's sharp thorns pierced her finger, drawing blood that fell into small drops on the perfect snow. She spun around, her bright blue eyes desperately scanning the street for the man who had left it for her. The street was totally empty, everything seemed dead. Jessie pressed her back against the door, continuing her futile search. She was shivering horribly, the sudden fear made her blood go frozen much more effectively than anything the weather could hurl at her. James, her past, everything...There was so much she didn't want him to know, so many things he couldn't know. She ran inside and slammed the door, locking it tightly. 

In some nearby bushes, a young man reluctantly lowered the binoculars from his eyes. This was his first time in this city, and he had certainly never seen this house before. And yet, it all seemed almost familiar to him. He certainly wasn't a stranger. His name had gone without mention in that house for years, but it seemed to loom in the air, just out of reach. He may have been out of sight, but he was far from out of mind. After all, one need only to look in the bottom of a forgotten cabinet in the upstairs hallway to find a whole box of pictures, all of him... Almost. You see, while his face was, in some ways, like the pictures Jessie kept hidden in the drawer, there were several noticeable differences. His once-sparkling eyes had gained a harder, more aged look to them, a look that seemed to fit his more distinctly masculine face. James was a man now, there was no denying it. Few remnants of his bubbly, childish, younger self betrayed the serious gaze he now had. 

Suddenly, his thin lips parted in a smile, the first smile they had seen in quite some time. Her. It was her. After nearly six years of tailing her, all the years of bitter searching for the stunning girl, finally. He had seen her. He found himself shaking, but if it was cold outside, he still hadn't noticed. "How's it feel, Jess?" His eyes glittered with the sheer joy of finally finding her, his Jessie. However, there was an undeniable tinge of sadistic insanity to them, the sort that you would expect from a man who had devoted some of the best years of his life to following a woman. Now, finally, he had her. She was stuck, she wouldn't be able to vanish this time. The only thing she could do was wait, wait for whatever he had planned for her. 

His grin darkened as he considered all the things he could put her through. He had endured so much, she must know that. She knew he would be expecting payback. But what? She had no idea. He had no idea. She was, for the first time, at his mercy. They both would soon find out if he had any left. "Sweet dreams, Angel." He whispered to the house. 

He closed his eyes, savoring the moment he had seen her, replaying the few seconds her eyes had nearly met his over and over. He had come expecting to see the perfect woman who had haunted his dreams for years, the most beautiful woman in the world. She had not disappointed him. He rose to his feet, turning to go. Suddenly, a rustling movement from the house caused him to turn. 

He found himself staring straight into her eyes, sparkling blue eyes that widened in fear when they met with his. She froze, like a deer caught in the glare of headlights. Their gaze, although in reality only a few moments long, seemed to last for an eternity, with neither able to break it. Her gaze calmed slightly as she decided seemed to realize she wasn't in any danger. He wouldn't, he couldn't hurt her. At least not now. In fact, her eyes seemed to haze with a strange sence of longing. Suddenly, Jessie turned away, apparently responding to an unseen voice. She moved her lips in an answer, then turned back. She gazed at him again, allowing her eyes to caress the man she had cared for so deeply for a precious few more seconds before she finally turned away. 

James blinked in surprise. Those eyes...He had forgotten her eyes. But how? How could he have forgotten the reason he was here? All these years had made him bitter. They had caused him to believe that while she had left him, she had left him whole. Now, here, the truth made itself painfully obvious. He wasn't here for revenge, he wasn't capable of revenge. Was he? 

"No...not yet..." His mind protested. "After what she did, you must still be mad. You can't still love her." The rest of him didn't listen. His heart, his body, his entire soul seemed to welcome her back as their master. She had always treated him like dirt, but he would never protest. It was a labor of love. 

Memories his anger had repressed rushed back to him, he hardly managed to stumble back to his car before collapsing into the driver's seat. "Jess..." Had she always been that beautiful? Would he ever be free of her spell? Did she love him? Had she ever? 

Even now, his mind was full of her, of them, of the past. Of the seven years they had shared as friends, of those precious few months they had shared as more. He need only to close his eyes to remember that night. She was incredible, she truly had always been that beautiful. Images of that one night, the night that had killed James the boy and rung in his new life as a man ran through his head, so intense he still began to blush when he recalled them. 

James leaned back in his seat and let the memories flood over him, consuming him. Of course he had fallen to her. In the harsh reality of a Team Rocket member, there was no time to search for love. And yet, there was Jessie, she had always been there, standing next to him, supporting him, even (in her own violent way) caring for him. At 17 years old, he had been at the age when he had the emotions of a man, yet hadn't been mature enough to fully understand or control them. Then, at a party at headquarters, some spiked punch had shattered the fragile line they had managed to keep for so long, the line between partnership and love, between friendship and passion. 

After that night, things had gone relatively smooth. Jessie had admitted her feelings for him as deeply as he had for her, and had accepted a ring. In fact, what would seem to an onlooker as grossly superficial and shallow was the deepest, most intimate relationship either of them had ever had. Even with all the troubles they had faced, he had been sure they were headed for marriage. Hadn't he loved her? Hadn't she loved him? He had always thought so. But then, why? 

He could still remember that horrible morning. He could still feel that moment he had reached for her arm in her sleeping bag, the way his life had shattered when he had realized it was gone. She was gone 

For weeks, he had tried to convince himself it was a mistake, that she had gotten up early, that she had gotten lost, gotten kidnapped, gotten in an accident, anything but that she had left him by her own free will. However, he had quickly learned the harsh truth. She had voluntarily switched jobs to be a secretary at headquarters. No one, least of all Jessie, had even bothered to tell him. He hadn't found out until a performance review had brought him back to base. Sickened, he had quit, leaving much the way she had. By the time he had come to his senses, within months, she had quit as well, leaving no trail. No one knew where she went. Or, if they did, they certainly weren't saying anything. 

So he had searched, for years he had looked for her, but the closest he had ever gotten to her was the glance he'd just received. All the years of searching and suffering seemed to melt away just from her eyes. He had missed her so much. 

And yet, while that one look had saved him, it had destroyed him as well. He would have to be with her, or die trying. He couldn't live without her again. Yes, all those years were gone from his mind now, but that just meant he was still desperate. He swore he wouldn't last a week without her. Seconds counted. 

"Tomorrow." He finally convinced himself. It was way too late tonight. Tomorrow he would see her. Tomorrow he would get her back. He put the seat all the way back in his car so he could sleep. His car had been the closest thing to a house he had been in since he had left his parents. It was the only way he could be able to look for her. 

"Jessie..." He whispered aloud, a slight grin playing a cross his face. For the first time since Jessie had left him, sleep came easily. It left him with visions of his darling. He could already feel her lips against his, the sweetest lullaby he could imagine. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jessie walked home from the store, glancing over her shoulder every few seconds. Was he there? Was he after her? He must be, you don't just leave a rose at someone's door and lie in wait so you can leave and never see them again. Was he mad? How could he not be? After what she'd done, even she had hated herself for several months. 

A gust of wind hit her, yanking up her coat and freezing her body. She clutched her groceries closer to her, she hated to be cold. She always had. The winter, more than any other time of year, was when she missed him most. She missed his kindness, his warmth. She still woke up some nights swearing she felt his arms around her. Could it work again? 

"Come on, Jessie. Pull yourself together." She chided. There were more important things to worry about. She had people depending on her now, they needed her. Her own feelings could wait. Forever, if necessary. 

"Hey, Jess." She went numb. "It's too cold out here. How about a ride?" She spun around to face him. He grinned back, leaning against the door of his car. It was James all right. What was he up to? 

"Thanks, but I...I, I can't...I have to, have to...to..." She stammered, stepping back slightly. "I need the exercise. I..." She cleard her throat, backing up more. She couldn't think of any good excuses. 

"Get in the car, Jessie." He said, with just a hint more force. She gulped slightly, but nodded obediently. "Good girl." She stepped nervously forward, and he took her shoulder, leading her to the other side of the car. Then, in an odd, chivalrous gesture, he opened the door for her, taking her bags. As she sat down, he closed the door for her, then walked around the back, putting her groceries in the trunk. 

"So, how are you doing?" He asked with slight sarcasm as he sat down in the driver's seat. She just stared straight forward, her arms folded stiffly in front of her. He stared at her for a moment, waiting for an answer. She turned away. "Well, I'm doing very nicely. "He informed her as he pulled back into traffic. "In fact, I.. Put on your safety belt, please...I'm feeling better then I have in quite a few years. 

She gulped slightly but kept silent, turning farther away as she pretended to look for the other side of the belt. They reached a red light, and he leaned over her to grab it, fastening it for her. She shuddered slightly from his touch. "You know." He was smiling slightly as he spoke. "Nearly six years ago, a woman left me. She broke my heart, Jessie. She left me totally crushed." 

Jessie turned back to the window. She got a little more nervous as she realized that he was headed out of town. "So, James, where are you taking me?" She asked, her voice tinged with fear. 

"Hush, dear, I'm talking" He said, ignoring the question. "Anyway, I've been looking for her ever since. Now, I'll admit it. I got pretty steamed with her. In fact, for a while there, I wanted her dead." She gulped again and looked straight at him, her eyes full of fear as he pulled onto a dirt road. 

"James, you can't be serious." She said nervously, trying to reason. "I mean, I..." 

"There you go, interrupting again." He interrupted. "But, you see, I've had a change of heart. And I think I would be satisfied..." He came to a stop on a deserted stretch of the lonely road, taking her face in his hand. "If she would tell me why." He finished. 

Her fear faded slightly, and she looked at him sadly. "Can she tell me that?" He asked, releasing her face. She looked away, rubbing her arms nervously. He turned the heater on. "Well?" he pushed when she remained silent. 

She cleared her throat, then slowly spoke. "James..." she said quietly. "We were young. We were stupid. We were a lot of things. But we weren't ready for that sort of commitment. Things...Things just couldn't stay like that." She looked into his eyes, hers were full of tears. "Please, don't do this. I loved you, you loved me. Let's just leave it at that." 

"Leave it at that? I can't leave it at that! Jessie, I can't just walk away from this. You've got to be joking." He touched her cheek. "Jess, I can't replace you, I don't want to replace you. Yes, we were young. I know we were stupid. But if you really think we weren't ready for that, then give me a chance now. Let me try to do things right." She shook her head. "I need you, Jessie. I love you." 

"It can't be like that. It just can't be that way again." She whispered through her tears, shaking her head. 

He sighed with frustration. She turned totally away, taking off her safety belt so she could curl up in the chair. He wasn't sure, but he thought he heard her cry. He reached out a hand to try to hug her, and she pulled away. "James, take me home." 

"You're not being fair about this, Jessie." she heard a clink as he popped a tape into the cassette player. A song began to play, and she looked up. He smiled back at her, and their eyes locked in a mutual understanding. She remembered this song. She would never forget it. His eyes brightened when he realized she remembered, and he walked to her side of the car, offering her his hand. She nervously took it, and he lifted her out of her seat, hugging her against him. 

"Jessie, can't you feel it?" He said, slowly spinning her around to the music. "We were so happy together. Can't we be like that again?" She shook her head weakly. "But you remember." He dipped her back slightly, kissing her neck. She shuddered slightly. 

"We used to dance like this after Meowth fell asleep." He checked her face. She was disturbed, obviously struggling with memories. He smiled. "This was the first song we ever danced to. It was so sweet, you were always nervous that Meowth would find out and tell the Boss, and then he would separate us. Remember how that used to scare you? The Boss didn't like couples in his team, they were too loyal to each other to be totally loyal to him." He grinned at her, and his eyes sparkled slightly at the memories. "But then, you would always beg for a second dance, and a third dance, a fourth, a fifth...You would have danced all night if you could. Then, you would put your sleeping bag so close to mine we would have been sleeping farther apart if we had separate ones. Then..." His eyes dulled. "You just disappeared. What happened?" 

"I had a lot on my mind. I felt so alone. I needed your support. Things were changing...I wanted things to stay that way, too. But they could never be, I just had to go." The song ended, and he sat down on her side, pulling her into his lap. "It's different now." She was on the verge of tears again. "James, I'm trying to save you some pain. We can't be together anymore. How I feel isn't important. Why can't you just leave it?" 

"I can't. I don't even want to." He ran his arms along her back, massaging it gently. "Jessie, whatever it is, we'll get through it. I promise. All I want is to be with you again. Why won't you give me a chance to prove myself?" 

"Promise?" She asked, and he nodded. "You want one chance?" He nodded again, with more excitement. "Take me home. Now." She commanded, in her snotty way. 

"Home? Now?! But, I.." James protested, caught off guard. How could she have changed so much, yet stayed exactly the same? "I, I..." 

"Stalking is a crime, James." She reminded him. "But kidnapping is a federal offense." 

"Oh no. My perfect record." James snickered slightly. "What will my parents think of me now?" She pouted at him. 

"Okay. That was your chance." She informed him, standing up and taking a few steps away from the car. 

"No, wait! Wait!" He yelled, hurriedly struggling to his feet and grasping wildly at her. He couldn't let her leave, not now...They were doing so well. He caught her around the waist and spun her around. One fearful look from her was all he needed to realize he was going about it all wrong. _Way to go, Romeo._ He loosened his grip. "Wait." His voice was more earnest now. "I'll take you home. It's too far to walk." She eyed him suspiciously. "Please?" 

"Straight home. Nothing else." she finally agreed. "If you stop for anything that isn't red, I'm calling the police." she warned. "Although, knowing the way you drive, going with you is probably the fastest way to contact the police." 

"Nice." He managed to keep it at that. "Well, come on then." He opened the door for her, and she sat down. "I'm not that bad." he commented as he sat down on his side. To prove his point, he managed to go the entire way home without going more then seven miles over the speed limit. 

Jessie remained quiet throughout the trip, apparently lost in her thoughts. She didn't speak until her had pulled into her driveway. "Thank you." she said, quickly stepping out of the car. 

"Jessie, wait." That was it? He stepped out of his side, and she turned to look at him. The moment her eyes met his, his mind froze up. She had that effect on him. "Well, I, uh." he stammered, looking for a reason to spend any more time with her. "Your groceries!" he finally remembered. "I'll get them for you!" He grabbed the bags out of his trunk and headed for her door. "At least let me bring them inside." He said when she protested. Grudgingly, she opened the door. 

"Okay, you brought them in." She said rather gruffly. "Now you can go, right?" He set the bags down and looked around, obviously in no big hurry.; 

"This is a really nice place." He commented, admiring the living room. "How on earth did you afford this?" He looked at her, suddenly nervous. "You didn't marry some rich guy on me, did you?" 

"I hardly think that's any of your business." She turned to him, he was deathly pale. "I mean how I got the house. No, I didn't get married, although that's none of your business either. Besides, didn't I tell you to leave?" 

"Yeah, but I figured you didn't mean it. You lie to me a lot." He shot back. 

"James, you're being childish about this." She said angrily. "Why do you have to be such a jerk about all this?" 

"Why did you leave?" He countered. "Why didn't you talk to me about it first? After all this time I've spent looking for you, you should realize that I'd have done anything to stay together. I still would. Why won't you talk to me about it?" 

She kept her back to him, and made no response. He cleared his throat and repeated the end, but it was like talking to a brick wall. On an impulse, he grabbed her by the arm, spinning her around. She gave a little squeal of surprise, looking at him fearfully. Her eyes locked with his as his bright green eyes searched hers for a moment. "Jess, do you think there's anything you could have done that would make me stop loving you? Anything at all?" 

"I can think of one thing." She said, looking away. 

"So you do still care. Otherwise, why would it matter what I think of you?" 

"Trust me, James. I really am just trying to help us both. You won't be able to love me anymore, I know that. Neither of us want that to happen. So please, leave now, and save yourself some heartache." 

"That bad, eh? Let me think. You're not married...You've got a jealous boyfriend who's going to rip my head off." She shook her head. "You killed someone?" She shook her head again. "Let's see... You've got a horrible drug addiction?" He guessed. She shook her head one more time. "I'm stabbing in the dark, Jessie. Give me a little hint." 

She looked at him. "Would you forgive me for all of those?" He nodded anxiously. "How about all of those together?" He frowned slightly, thinking about it. "Now you're getting there." 

Almost on cue, the door burst open. "Jessie, honey, are you home?" her aunt walked in. 

"Hi, Auntie." Jessie said uncomfortably. She turned to James. "Here's your answer. I told you so ahead of time." 

"You live with your Aunt? That's the big, unforgivable secret?" He asked, shocked. Suddenly, a young girl with deep, almost black purple haired girl skipped into the room. She paused for a moment, looking around, and her eyes brightened as she saw Jessie. 

"Hi, Mommy!" She yelled, apparently ignoring the man hugging her mother. "I had a really fun time in school today, and then me and Auntie Mary made cookies!" She held up a small sack of odd-shaped, slightly burnt cookies. "I made these for you, Mommy!" 

"Oh, honey, that's wonderful!" Jessie exclaimed, pulling out of James's frozen grip. Ignoring him for the moment, she bent down to hug the girl. "And were you a good girl for your aunt?" 

"Of course I was. I always am!" She replied, giggling little. "I'm a good girl!" She pulled out of Jessie's grip, running up the stairs. "I'm gonna go play!" She disappeared quickly. 

"Jasmine, wait..." Jessie said, then sighed. She watched as her daughter ran off, then looked down to her feet. "How's that, James? You hate me, don't you?" 

"But Jessie..." He said, numbly. "You, I, but... You said you weren't married, right? She just calls you mommy, she's really a niece, right? You're just taking care of her?" He pleaded, like she could change whether or not it was hers. 

Jessie turned way. "There was no marriage." She said, bitter tears welling in her eyes. "But she is my daughter." She heard him gasp, his face was sheet white. "I tried to warn you, James. You wouldn't listen. Are you happy now?" 

"No..." He grabbed her wrist harshly and jerked her to her feet. She looked into his eyes, terrified. "No, no!" He grabbed her by the other wrist, and she began to cry. He ignored her crying and shook her. "Jessie, you bitch!" It came out louder and angrier then he had meant for it to sound, but he didn't apologize. "Jessie..." Now he was crying too. "Jessie, how could you do this to me?" He released her just as harshly as he had taken her, stepping back as if she had some sort of plague. She looked into his eyes, they were filled with more pain then she could comprehend. 

"Wait..." She said quietly. "I can explain." He shook his head, backing up a little more. "Wait..." She said a little more earnestly, putting one hand up. He turned abruptly, running out of the room. "James." She took a few steps after him, then stopped. "James..." She stood numbly in the doorway, watching as James pulled out of the driveway. He didn't even look back. 

Mary, her aunt stepped up next to her. "That was _him_, wasn't it?" Jessie nodded. "I didn't know he was here. I'm sorry." Jessie nodded sullenly, her eyes glued to the spot where his car had last been. "Are you okay?" Another nod. 

"Mommy, is something wrong?" The little girl asked, walking up to her mother. "Did something bad happen? I thought I heard that man yelling at me." Jessie turned to face the little girl, then dropped to her knees. 

"It wasn't you, honey. People used to call me Jessie, too." She explained as the girl gave her mother a hug. "He was mad at me, Jasmine." 

"But you only call me Jessy when I've been bad, Momma. Does he think you did something wrong?" She asked. 

"Yes, Jazz." Jessie whispered, hugging her closer. "I've done something very wrong. I was a bad girl." She pulled back. "But I'm okay now, Jazzy. Run along and play. He won't yell at you again, I promise." Jasmine nodded and ran back upstairs, giggling. 

"You're taking this awfully well, Jess." Her mother commented, watching the girl run off. "I thought..." She looked over at Jessie, her expression was cold and stony. "Jessie...." Her mother whispered, putting one hand on her shoulder. 

"Just like all the others." She whispered, her voice cracking slightly. "I tried to warn him. It's his own fault." She choked a little. "I knew he wouldn't be able to handle it." Her eyes went back to the empty driveway. "I don't think I'll ever see him again.... He's just not ready for this." 

"Ohhhh, Jessie..." Her aunt whispered, unsure of what to say. "You don't know that." Jessie jerked away to glare at her mother, then thought better of it and threw herself into her mom's arms. 

"Momma, I'm scared..." She gulped. (Jessie had taken up calling her 'Momma', whereas her real mom was always 'Mommy') "It's not supposed to be this way. Jazz needs a daddy, I owe her a daddy." She looked up. "I know what I did was wrong. I shouldn't have left him, either... But that's not Jasmine's fault." She added, firmly. "If he can't handle that, he can't be her dad. And he certainly can't have me." Jessie pulled away and started into the house. "It doesn't matter to me." 

"Jessie... You don't mean that." She said quietly. Jessie had left. Mary gave a shuddering sigh. She had failed. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
_"Take care of Jessie for me. Please, Mary. if something goes wrong, promise me you'll make sure Jessie is cared for. I don't want her like me." _

"Don't worry, sis. I'll never let that happen. Jessie is like my daughter, too.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

At the time, it had seemed so innocent, almost a joke. Zerelda Miyamoto, Jessie's mom, had been working for Team Rocket since before Jessie was born. She was, quite possibly, the best member the Team had ever seen. . Zerelda was invincible, everybody knew that. She had been in lots of dangerous assignments, and she had always come back. But then, even 'always' doesn't always happen. When the news came back, everyone was shocked. And there was no body, no trace of the woman Jessie had loved with all her heart. 

Almost imediately Robert Miyamoto, her father, collapsed into heavy drinking. For an almost unlivable half a year, Jessie had lived with her now-abusive, drunken father. However, the loss was too great, and he took his own life on the six month anniversary of his wife's passing. 

Doubly heartbroken, Jessie faced another horrible problem: No one wanted her. For weeks she bounced from relative to relative to foster home, but no one wanted the daughter of a member of Team Rocket. Finally Mary, although still coping with the loss herself, agreed to take the poor child. 

She loved Jessie like a daughter, she really did. It's just, she had no idea how to raise a child. She, too, had been a member of Team Rocket, and thus had been disowned by most of the family. She didn't even have a husband to help her. And she had no money, no job, and nowhere to get one. 

The entire time she had been raising Jessie, Mary had prayed that Jessie wouldn't make the same mistakes she and her mother had made when they were younger. By eight years old, she knew she would. She had tried so hard to raise her right, reminding her that love was more important then wealth, trying to make games out of their problems... She still cried when she remembered the way Jessie had looked forward to snowgasborgs ( a tradition her mother had started during a particularly poor winter). The poor thing actually had considered it a treat to eat what most people walked on. 

However, Jessie had always hated other people. She had no friends at school, and was often sent home for fighting. When she had asked Jessie why, she would always complain that the children had called her names and teased her for not having a family. She would cry about how it wasn't her fault that she couldn't afford pretty clothes like the other girls did, and ask why they didn't like her just because she was different. 

Despite her noble efforts, Mary soon realized Jessie was headed down. She hadn't realized how far she had to go. The minute Jessie had turned ten, she had run off to get her Pokemon license. Her mom didn't hear from her for years. Finally, after what had seemed like an eternity, she had caught part of a news broadcast. What she had see on that screen made her heart break. 

There was Jessie, her little girl, wearing one of the kinkiest 'uniforms' she had ever seen. She was yelling some strange poem with a boy about her age, and stealing pokemon. Or rather, trying to steal. Her little angel, her darling, her Jessie had been reduced to being a common thief. She hadn't even gotten to wear the 'elite' uniform her mother had worn. 

The only good thing about her 'daughter's' bizarre fixation with that motto of theirs was that it gave her time to start the VCR. She would leave the television on almost constantly, and every time she heard the words 'Prepare for trouble', she would race to start a tape. She had dozens of tapes of every news broadcast she had ever had the good fortune of catching that even had the slightest thing to do with her niece. Those relatives that had offered her support when she had been raising Jessie would often tape them as well, sending her at least a tape a month just in case they had seen one that she hadn't. The rest of the family had long ago disowned her and her adopted child. 

Mary would often sit, on lonely nights, watching her daughter on TV. Well, Jessie had finally gotten the attention she had always needed. She would appear in the news at least three times a week. Sometimes, Mary would watch until her eyes were too blurred with tears to see, then cry herself to sleep. All with 'to protect the world from devastation' echoing through her head. 

The boy, James, was always with her. Jessie was often cruel to him, (She often recognized Jessie's anger at men in general and her abusive father in particular in Jessie's oppressive attitude) but he never seemed to mind. On occasion, he protest to the undeserved blows, but he would never strike her back, no matter how angry he was or how much she deserved it. Mary had come to accept this boy, even respect him for his kind treatment. It seemed that if either of them were going to change their ways, it would be him. 

Then, one day, something had changed. Jessie had been unusually nervous, she seemed to cling to James. He, in turn, seemed overly protective of her. It didn't take a genius to figure out what happened. It took a mother. And Mary was close enough to one to know. 

For several months, the relationship continued in much the same way it had been, as she saw through the almost daily news blips. Jessie had seemed wary of the whole thing, but Mary had earnestly hoped James would be able to make her settle down. She had been almost certain he would when Jessie had vanished. 

It had been so sudden. One day, Jessie had been nervously hanging off of James's arm as they said their motto. The next, a rather pale James appeared in a half-hearted heist. Halfway through, he had given up and walked off. That was the last time she had seen him until today. 

For nearly a year, Mary had been plunged back into the darkness of not knowing what her precious niece was doing. During this time, she had relied almost fully on the tapes she had, wearing out some of them until they broke. 

Suddenly, out of the blue, Jessie had shown up. It was late one November night, and Jessie was has shivering, clutching a large coat around her. When her 'mom' had asked what was happening, Jessie just began to cry. She pleaded to be let in, and of course her Mary had agreed. 

Soon, Jessie was sitting in front of the fire with a cup of hot coffee. Mary sat down next to her, asking again what was wrong. Jessie began to cry again, but released her grip on her jacket to reveal the baby balanced on her hip. 

"Momma, I screwed up." She sobbed. "Look what I've done now." She set down her mug to hold the sleeping child better. Her Mary reached out, and Jessie handed it to her. "It's a girl. Her name is Jasmine." She informed her, still crying softly 

"She's adorable." Her mom cooed, hugging her softly. "She looks like you." Jessie blushed slightly and looked at her feet. "Is she James's child?" 

Jessie looked up, shocked. "How do you know about James?" She asked suspiciously. The little girl began to cry, and Jessie took her back.; 

"Do you have any idea how often you two were on the tv? Of course I know about you two. You were...Together, right?" 

Jessie looked back at her feet. "Yeah, I guess we were. It was an accident, it just happened... I don't know why. He was gonna marry me, but things got went crazy. I left him...I tried to fix things on my own. I failed. Things got so tense when I found out I was pregnant. I tried to find him again, but I couldn't. Now, I'm not sure if he'd take me back.;" 

"Then it isn't his? Who's is it?" Her mother asked, shocked. Not James? There were others, too? She really had failed as Jessie's mom. 

"I can't tell you who the father is. I promised I wouldn't tell anyone. They paid my hospital bills, they're helping me get a new house, she's paying me child support...But I can't tell anyone. She'd kill me." 

"She? Who are you talking about?" Mary asked nervously. "Who's threatening you?" Jessie looked up. 

"His...The father's mom. She scares me, I didn't want to tell her...I didn't have a choice. I needed to go to the hospital, there were checkups to go to, I didn't have any money. Then she offered me everything else if I wouldn't tell." Jessie sniffled again. "They're a proud family. They don't want their reputation smeared like that." 

"Still, that's really horrible. What does the father say about all of this?" Her aunt questioned. 

"I don't think he knows about the threats." Jessie replied. "I haven't seen him since, since, since..." Jessie gulped slightly, but continued. "I haven't seen him in a long time." 

"And James. What about James? Does he know about it?" her Mary pressed. 

"No...I left him a long time ago. It was stupid, I know it was, but I was, I just, I...I don't know." She sniffed. "I did try to find him afterwards, before she was born. I think it would have been easier then. But he had quit already. He never wanted kids anyway." The baby started crying again, and Jessie hugged it gently. She looked to Mary. "I'm scared, Momma. I don't know what to do."   


---

"I'm sorry, Zee." Mary whispered through her tears. "So very sorry." 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jessie walked into her bedroom, closing and locking the door behind her. She took one more deep breath, then sat down on her bed. "I'm okay." She said aloud. "I'm not going to let him get to me. It's his fault, anyway. He shouldn't have followed me." 

She leaned back against her bed. "Jasmine and Aunt Mary. That's all I need." She leaned over, taking a picture from her bedstand. "We're happy. Me and James are through. Through forever." And for a few seconds, she could have convinced you it was true. Then, the tears came. 

"Damn it, James, why? Why'd you do this to me? How could you?" As she sobbed, she slid off the backing of the picture to reveal a second one. One of her and James. "It's taken me six years, James. Six years to get over you! How could you ruin it, and drop me like that? How could you do this to me?" 

She hugged the two photos to her chest, sobbing until she had nothing left, until she felt totally drained. As she drifted off to sleep, she said one last thing: 

The End 

_ Jasmine's my favorite of all the characters I've created. ^_^ We'll see more of her later. Let's see; Zerelda was Jesse James's cousin/wife (who I named Zee from my ongoing after), but his mother's name was also Zerelda. That's why I named Jessie's mom that too. I know It's confusing. Mary was Jesse James's daughter, but I didn't find that out until I'd already named Jessie's daughter Jessie Lynn and then Jasmine. I wasn't going to rename her again. _

I think by now, most of you know about Miyamoto. Since I've been using that as her last name for some time, I'm pretending she was always reffered to by her last name. I'm a little lazy ^_^ 

Reviews (at least, constructive ones) are **highly** accepted. 

   [1]: Mailto:Ami_Thest@Yahoo.com



	2. Unobtainable: A Bleak Future

Unobtainable:   
A Bleak Future   
By amethyst 

_Okay, where we last left off, James just found Jessie after she left him nearly six years ago. **Read Unforgivable first! ** Same PG 13 rating, for adult content and a little swearing. _

Jessie opened her eyes wearily. It seemed so pointless, getting up. She hadn't gotten any sleep, again. She had dreamed again. Why did he have to show up? She slapped the snooze button and rolled over. 

What was she going to do? She couldn't forget him, she couldn't forget what had happened. That look he had given her, the anger and hurt, they were burned into her heart. She could still hear his words echoing through her mind. "Go away..." She whispered weakly, burying her head in the pillow. Of course, it didn't help any. She was a fighter. She was used to using force to get her way. This enemy was unseen, was part of herself. She had no idea how to fight it. She wasn't even sure if she could survive it. 

"What am I gonna do..." The only thing more frightening then never seeing him again was the prospect of being forgiven. Would he? He had sworn at her, yes. (She strongly suspected it was the first time he had ever said a word that strong in his life. It was certainly the first time in front of her.) On the other hand, that was all he had really done. Her left wrist was still slightly sore from where he had grabbed it, but not much. He had hurt her much worse than that many times on accident. Under the given circumstances, she had assumed that even James would have hit her. And hard... she knew she would have beaten him bloody over something like this. 

The fact that he hadn't just proved to her that she really had no idea how he really felt. Had she really underestimated his loyalty that much? Would he really forgive her? What would she tell him if he did? She didn't think his poor heart could take the next bombshell she had waiting in the wings. And she didn't think her poor heart could take watching him crack. Nine minutes was never enough. The alarm clock went off again, and Jessie's eyes widened as a familiar piano solo started. 

_Looking back, on the memory of...._   
Jessie's squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block it out.   
_The dance we shared..._   
"Stop it...."   
_'neath the stars above..._   
She knew this song all too well.   
_For a moment, all the world was right..._   
She had always loved this song. It had been one of her favorites to dance to. But now...   
_How could I have known, that you'd ever say, 'Goodbye'?_   
"I'm sorry." She whispered, burying her head in the pillow. 

"Jessie?" Mary popped her head in the doorway. "Jessie, dear, are you okay?" 

"No..." Jessie sniffled. "No, I'm not." Mary seemed to recognize the song, and turned it off. "You shouldn't be listening to such things." She chided gently. "Not right now." Jessie shrugged, looking away. 

"Jess... Is there anything I can do?" She said quietly. "You know I'll do anything at all if it would help you." Jessie shook her head. 

"James...." She whispered. "He's gone..." she looked up. "I tried to stop him, Mary. I tried to make him leave. I really did." She shook her head against the pillow. "I _do_ love him. It's just... I can't. We can't be together anymore." She shook her head. "I didn't want to hurt him that way, ever." 

"Jessie, what do you mean, can't? He didn't seem mad enough to leave you forever. Just give him a few more days, he'll come back. He's followed you too far to give up now." It was meant to be comforting to the poor girl, but Jessie just buried her head deeper in her pillow. 

"Momma? Mommy, are you crying?" Jasmine walked in the door. "Is something wrong?" Jessie gulped and took a deep breath, then turned to her daughter. 

"No, Jazz, I'm just fine." She managed to say it convincingly. "You'd better hurry, you'll be late for school. And I'll be late for work." She gave Jasmine a hug. "Don't worry, baby. Things are just fine." Jasmine nodded and went to get her uniform, and Jessie sighed. 

The poor girl... She had been through so much. The least Jessie could do was give the impression that her mother was more stable than her home life. She did her best to be the nearly god-like figure her own mother had been to her. And immortals never cry. Never. 

Even though she often wanted to. Her policy of only dating men that agreed to take Jasmine along ensured that she was always single. After all, she had always relied on her looks to get her the attention she craved. Childbirth had done quite a number to those. She was still beautiful, but that was it. She was no longer 'stunning', at least not in her own eyes. 

But still, even with everything that had happened, yesterday was the first time she'd ever questioned her current way of living. Jasmine, of course, was that way of living. Jazz was her life now, at least the only part of it worth mentioning. The only truly good thing she had ever accomplished in her life.... 

"Jessie?" Mary startled her, snapping her out of the long train of thoughts. "You'll be late." Jessie nodded and begrudgingly got ready for work. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

By mid-morning, Jessie was reduced to hiding in the bathroom. Huddled atop the closed toilet seat as she tried to control her tears, she asked herself for the thousandth time why she had chosen to work here. It was a jewelry store, for crying out loud. ninety percent of the customers were in love. Each time a young man came in looking for an engagement ring, it killed her. The other girls who worked there just made it worse. Especially today. 

---

"I don't know..." The Sarah said slowly, eyeing the small ring the boy had picked out critically. "I wouldn't go with that one..." 

"Why not? Tori would love it." The boy protested. "It's just her style." Of course, he was being cheep, but Sarah knew just what to do. 

"Well, I don't want to say anything..." She said, leaning forward secretively. "But I wouldn't take that ring if it were free." The boy looked at her, and she continued in a hushed voice. "That's the kind of ring _HE_ got for Jessie there... and then..." Sarah shook her head sadly. 

Jessie had glared back. How could she reduce something so indescribably painful thing to a mere sales ploy? "Go to hell." She had shot back bitterly before running to the back room. 

---

She wiped her eyes, trying to get rid of the mascara lines that streaked her face. "I won't let it bother me, I won't let it bother me, I won't..." A few more choked sobs escaped, and she grimly re-applied her makeup. She would have to apologize. That would almost be worse than the original insult... but she couldn't afford to loose her job. 

A sharp knock sounded on the door. "Jessie?" 

"Yeah, Sarah?" She said quietly, hardly keeping the tightness out of her voice. 

"That was a great act, Jessie!" Sarah said triumphantly. "He bought a full carrot! That's gonna be some bonus..." She paused. "You probably shouldn't swear in front of the customers like that, though. You could get in trouble." 

Working for Team Rocket couldn't compare to this. Even her worst days, it never got this degrading. "Give me one good reason I shouldn't..." She growled. _Jasmine..._ Her mind answered. The rent was due this week. "Okay..." Jessie whispered dejectedly as she swallowed any pride she had. "I'll be out in a moment." _I hate this job._ She thought as she forced a plastic smile. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

James leaned against the wall until he was absolutely sure no one was looking, then peeked around the corner nervously, staring into the window of the small jewelry shop. There she was. Jessie. 

_"What are you doing here?"_ His mind questioned. 

"I have to see her again." He muttered aloud. His mind was still dubious. 

"_I thought you hated her._" It reminded him. "_Have you forgotten already?_" 

"If I ever could hate her..." He sighed dejectedly. "It would have happened a long time ago." She motioned another saleswoman over and disappeared into the back room again. He sighed again and turned around, leaning against the wall and slowly sliding himself down so he was sitting on the ground. It was covered in snow, but the numbness in his legs was nothing compared to the numbness in his heart. He hardly noticed it. 

She had apparently been trying to convince a customer that a 5-carrot emerald necklace didn't look gaudy, not even with 3-carrot diamond earrings. From the look on Jessie's face, James guessed she was winning the debate. Jessie at a jewelry store? She really had changed, hadn't she? He couldn't even imagine how she had gotten past the background check. 

She was so beautiful, she always had been, but the grin she had just then made her look almost magical. How could anyone look so gorgeous, seem so wonderful, and be so heartless? He looked at his feet. Six years ago, Jessie had totally crushed him, leaving him this empty shell he had come to hate. Two weeks ago, she had hurt him worse. Much worse. 

A child? Who's? He had always known there had been other men her life, and he had never objected to this fact. He knew all too well that Jessie was a beautiful girl and a troubled girl, and both of those made her an easy target for men. However, he had also known that while she had been pretty serious with a few of them, none of them had... Well, none of them had done anything that would get a woman pregnant. Plus, he had assumed Jessie had broken off those other relationships when they had gotten together. Why? How could she? 

It had taken him a week just to start functioning again after he had found out. For a whole week, he had eaten, hadn't slept, had hardly moved. Any comfort of sleep had been mutilated by the dreams he knew would come. Even eating, once his favorite pastime, seemed a moot point now. He had hardly been able to get a hotel room before he collapsed into that bizarre, semi-comatose feeling that he hadn't known in so many years. 

For a week, he had been like this, incapable of thought or feeling. It had been the worst week of his life, even after last time. And yet, one short week after that, he was running back to her. Like some pathetic puppy who just doesn't know any better. "You can't teach an old dog new tricks." He mumbled. And boy, did he feel old. Although he was now hardly twenty-five, he felt like he must be at least seventy now. Jessie could do that to a person. 

"_And still, you want to forgive her?_" Even his own mind seemed to know he was fighting a losing battle. Fortunately for him, (Although he didn't know it at the time) He had stopped listening to his mind years ago, back when he had first met Jessie. Now, he only seemed to listen to his heart. 

"Howdy, Mister!" A child's voice from behind him startled him, but he didn't turn. He had only heard that voice once in his life, but he knew who it was. That voice was forever etched into his mind, the voice of Jessie's daughter. 

"You shouldn't talk to strangers, should you?" He said rather curtly. "Didn't your mother ever teach you that?" He snuck a peek at her. Her face was a mirror image of Jessie's, save for the deep purple hair that curved back in that same spiral her mother's hair always seemed to be in. 

"You're no stranger." She told him, giggling slightly. "I saw ya hugging Mommy a while ago. Are you going to marry her?" She asked innocently. 

James blushed. "Well, I... That is... I, I..." 

"I think you should." She informed him. "I think that Mommy would feel better if she got married. You seem nice." She speculated. 

"That's a bit sudden, don't you think?" He struggled to remember what Jessie had called the girl, and realized she had no idea. "Ummm...." He blushed slightly, thinking about it. "Your name was..." 

She grinned at him. "I'm Jasmine, except when I'm a bad girl. Then Mommy calls me Jessy." She looked up at him. "I thought you were yelling at me, but Momma says people used to call her Jessy, too! Isn't that funny? I guess Momma used to be a really bad girl if you think that's her name." 

James gulped slightly and adjusted his collar. He hadn't realized she had heard the yelling. He had never yelled at Jessie before, not in a tone like that. Even under the circumstances, he felt a little guilty. However, Jazz shrugged it off and returned her gaze to the window. "They sell evolution stones here, too. I keep hoping Mommy touches one of the fire ones. I wanna see her evolve." 

"Evolve? What do you mean?" James asked, confused. 

"Well, I always figured Mom was a fire-type Pokemon. That's why her hair is so red. I bet she spits fire when she's mad, too." James nodded. That wasn't really that far from the truth. "You called Mommy a 'bitch'. I asked Auntie Mary what it meant, and she said 'female dog'. So, I bet Mommy evolves into a Arcanine!" She gave James another of her sweet, innocent looks. "Isn't that what you meant?" 

"No..." So she had heard that, too. Now he felt really bad. "Your mom evolves into a Flareon." He knew that from experience. In any case, Jazz seemed bored with the conversation, and looked in the window again. He watched her for a moment. She looked so much like Jessie... It was hard to hate her, especially when she was acting so cute. After all, it wasn't her fault her mother had betrayed him. Her mother... Would Jasmine know who he was, this man who had destroyed his life? He decided to ask. "So, Where's your daddy?" That was less direct then who, anyway. 

"I don't have one." She said simply. 

"Everyone has a dad." 

"Not me! I'm special!" She said proudly. "Here's how it happened: Mommy was sick, she had a tummy ache. So she went to the hospital. They opened up her tummy to see what was wrong, but the doctor had to go to the bathroom. While he was gone, Chansey accidentally dropped her egg in Mommy's tummy. It broke open, and I came out. The doctor got back and found me, so he took me out and sewed Mom's tummy back closed. When Mommy woke up, they said the problem was there was a baby in her!" She giggled, spreading out her arms. "And here I am!" 

James laughed. "It's original, I'll give you that. Did your mother tell you that?" 

"No... She said my daddy got lost, and she needs to find me a better one. She says she's going to find me the bestest daddy in the whole world!" Jasmine frowned. "But that's boring, so I made a new story up. Mine's better, huh?" 

"Does your mother ever talk about your real father?" James asked. "Have you ever met him before?" 

"No, never. I bet he's dead. Every time people ask Momma about him, she says she doesn't want to discuss it. Then she tries not to cry." She looked up. "So why do you ask, Mister?" 

"Please, call me James." He said quietly. 

"Hello, James, nice to meet you. Did you used to know my mommy?" James's face darkened slightly as a blush played across his face, and he nodded. "Momma talks about you sometimes. She tells Auntie Mary she misses you. She said she wishes you could be my daddy. That's why I think you should marry her." 

James looked at his feet. He really did still love Jessie. It was hard to stay mad at her, and even harder to stay mad at little Jazzy. He turned back around to see Jessie re-enter the room, looking more stunning then he had ever thought possible. She smiled radiantly at the customer, and started speaking again. She was so incredible... But he certainly wasn't ready to just totally forgive her, at least not yet. He decided to change the subject, and kneeled down next to her. "So, you're waiting for your Mom?" 

"Yeah, but she's in the middle of a sale. She's gonna be late. She knows that when she takes too long, I go to the park so I don't get bored and get into trouble." She pressed a finger against his nose. "Wanna come with me?" She pushed against his nose slightly, making him nod. "Yeah!!" She cheered, running down the walkway a little. "C'mon, James, try to catch me!" 

He sighed. Such a sweet little girl... Back when he and Jessie were a couple, she had bugged him about children several times. He had always told her she was being silly. He was hardly past a child himself, and certainly didn't think he was ready to have his own. Now, he almost wished he had agreed. He desperately hoped that she hadn't just chosen some man so she could have a child, but looking back he realized how insistent she had been. "_No. It can't be. She wouldn't... would she? _" 

---

"Jessie, what's wrong? You've been so quiet the last few days..." James whispered, putting his hand on her shoulder. She pulled away. "Jess, you can tell me." He said earnestly. "Please?" 

She had looked at him, her lavender-blue eyes full of tears. "James... I want to get married." 

"I know you do. I do too." He had comforted, reaching for her again. "I'm saving as quickly as I can, Jess. You know how little we make." He reached her shoulder, rubbing it gently. "But, as soon as I get it, you know that's the first thing I'll do." She shook her head. 

"I want to get married." She repeated. "Tonight." 

"Tonight?!" He nearly yelled, and she glared at him, pointing at the sleeping meowth a few feet away. "Tonight?" He said more quietly. "Are you crazy?" 

"Maybe I am...." She admitted, then thought about it. "James, please? We could be to Neon Town and back before sunrise. No one would need to know, just us. Please?" She pleaded. 

"Jessie, that's crazy talk." He protested. "Don't you want a nice wedding? It'll take a little longer, but wouldn't it be worth it?" She shook her head. "You'd give it all up for a ring no one would know about?" She nodded, and he briefly considered it, then shook his head. "No. we can't go tonight. That's just plain silly." He rolled over in his sleeping bag. 

"But, I..." 

"No!" He said a little more harshly. "It's not worth it, Jess." 

She was silent for a minute, then spoke up again. "What about children?" 

"What about them?" James mumbled, then thought about it for a minute. "No... No Jessie, you're not going to get into that again, are you?" He turned back around. "That's even crazier." 

"No, it's not!" She hissed, keeping her voice down. "I want a kid! Mommy was my age when she had me!" 

"And look at what happened to your mother!" Before he had even finished saying it, he already wanted to slap himself. Jessie beat him to it. "I deserved that." He admitted, holding his aching cheek. "Jessie, I'm so sorry. That was a horrible thing to say." 

"Go away." She mumbled, moving her sleeping bag away from his. "Just go away." 

"Jessie..." He pleaded. She snuggled into the bag, ignoring him totally. "Your mother..." He chose his words carefully. "Your mom made you, and every day I thank her for that. I would never have her undo anything. But she did make some mistakes. Jessie... I'm just not ready for that. What if you died? I can't raise a kid. I'd hate to become a father like yours." 

"You wouldn't have to. I'd quit as soon as I found out I was pregnant." She assured him. "James, I want a child." 

"I just don't think so." 

"But, James..." 

"No. I don't want to hear any more of this." He said firmly, then turned to her. "I have you, and that's plenty enough for me. We don't need anyone else. Just you and me." She shook her head, a few tears escaping her eyes. "In a few years, maybe." He offered. "After we've been married for a while, we can talk about it. Now, it's impossible. We couldn't even afford it. You'll have to wait." 

"James..." She turned away in her bag, but he knew she was crying.... 

"Jessie, I'm sorry I yelled. I love you." He whispered, touching her cheek. "I'll always love you, no matter what." He kissed her softly where his hand had touched. "Let's just stay this way..." 

She turned to him. "Hold me..." She whispered, and he did. Until he fell asleep. It was the last he had seen of her until... 

---

It was just too much, he decided not to think about it. He followed Jazz. 

"Jasmine? Jazz?" James looked around. "Where'd you run off to?" By the time he had gotten to the park, the girl was nowhere to be seen. "Jazz?" 

"Over here, James!" came a giggle from the swing set. "I'm over here!" She waved a little, then took out a Pokéball. "Come on, Growline, melt the snow!" A small puppy pokémon emerged from the ball. It took a deep breath, then released a tiny blast of embers. It hardly melted the snow off one seat. "Good try, Growline!" Jazz encouraged, giving her dog a hug. 

"Is that yours?" James asked. Jazz nodded proudly. "He's very cute." He bent down in the snow. "Hi, Growline." The puppy ran up and licked his hand. "He's nice, too." 

Jasmine rolled her eyes. "**"She's** nice, James." She explained exasperatedly. "Growline is a **Girl**." Growline ran back to her, and sneezed. "It's too cold out here. Come on back." She called Growline back into her ball. "Yes, 'dat's wight. You're a good widdle puppy. Yes you are, yes you are!" She cooed in her best baby talk. 

"Where'd you get a Growlithe?" James asked. "Did your mother get **Her** for you?" 

"Nope. My grandma gave it to me." Jasmine replied, putting the ball back on her belt. "She said it was a worthless little runt. She didn't want her." Jasmine frowned a little, hurt by the words. After a second, she seemed to forget what she was frowning about, and grinned up at James. "Growlithes are the best Pokémon in the world!" She exclaimed. "Do you have any Pokémon, James?" 

James nodded and pulled out a few balls. "This one's a Weezing." He explained, holding it out. 

Jazzy wrinkled her nose. "I don't like Weezing." She announced, pushing it away. "They smell bad, and they always look really sad, like this!" She stuck two fingers in her mouth and stretched her face out to look as much like a sad weezing as possible. 

James laughed again. "And this..." He held up the next one. "...Is a baby koffing that broke off." He called it out, and a small, round animal that looked sort of like a moon appeared. 

"Koffing! Koffing!" It yelled happily, and James called it back before it could get too cold. 

"You see, when weezings get older, one of the buds on them falls off. It doesn't hurt the weezing, it just grows another one. But the bud grows up to be a koffing, and then a weezing. It goes on and on like that." Jazz reached out her hand. 

"Can I see it, James?" She asked. James nodded, and handed it to her. She looked at it for a second, then discreetly slipped it onto her belt. "Let me see if **I** have a koffing." She giggled, and reached for her belt. She felt around, like she was looking for one, and then grabbed the ball. "Look! I do!" She showed it to him proudly. "Isn't it neat?" 

James chuckled again and shook his head slightly. She was soooo cute... He really didn't need another koffing, anyway. She could have it. "It's wonderful." He said quietly. 

"Well..." She said, sitting down on the still-damp swing. "Aren't you going to push me?" She wiggled impatiently to show she wanted help. James nodded and gave her a little push. "Higher!" He pushed a little harder on the next swing. "Higher, James! I want to fly!" She giggled at the top of her lungs. 

"Okay, you asked for it!" James said, shoving her as hard as he could. She squealed as the swing went as high as it could, and then again as she flew off of it. "Oppps." James watched helplessly as she sailed off into some nearby trees. "Jasmine?!" He ran after her. "_Looks like Jasmine's blasting off again._" It even rhymed. "Jazz, honey, are you okay?" Honey? He was already calling her honey? It seemed a bit early for that. But at the same time, it seemed so natural. "Jazzy, answer me!" 

"Look, I'm a zubat!" Jasmine swung down from a branch on her knees, grabbing him around the neck. "Want me to suck your blood?" She let go and swung down, knocking him to his knees. "Oh, wow! A ponyta!" She kicked him in the sides. "Come on, gallop!" 

"Jasmine? Jasmine? Where are you dear? Mommy's sorry she's so late!" James froze. Jessie was off of work. "Jasmine, are you..." Her voice trailed off as she saw James. 

"Look, Mommy, I've got a ponyta!" Jazz exclaimed, kicking James again. 

"Jasmine! Come here, Now!" Jessie yelled, motioning for her desperately. 

Jasmine ran over. "What's wrong, Mommy?" She asked, clinging to her mother's leg. "What's happening?" 

Jessie gently put an arm in front of her daughter. "I swear, James, if you touch her I'll kill you." She said defensively. "Jazz, I want you to run away as fast as you..." 

"Easy, easy." James said soothingly. "I was just pushing her on the swing." He wasn't sure whether to be insulted by her insinuating he would try to hurt an innocent child, or impressed by her show of maternal instincts. He walked forward a little, and she moved into a fighting stance. 

"Don't even think about it!" She yelled, clenching her fists. Finally, James started laughing. "The swings are over there." She reminded, jerking her head towards them. He just kept chuckling. "What's so funny?" 

"I was on the swing!" Jasmine replied. "But it was wet, and I went, 'WHOOSH!'" She swung he arms to show how she flew. "And landed over here, in the trees! My Ponyta came to see how I was doing." James smiled at her calling him her ponyta, then looked up at Jessie. 

"Jessie, in all the years I've known you, I've never seen you like this!" He grinned. "Boy, Jess, you've really changed." He had never, ever thought that the idea of Jessie as a mother would be appealing to him. "_I really am getting old, aren't I?_" It didn't seem so bad. 

"I can still kick your butt." She reminded him, relaxing a little. Jasmine let go of her leg, and ran over to hug his. She grinned back at her mother. 

"James is my new best friend!" She told her mom. "He's going to be my daddy now!" Jessie's jaw dropped, and she looked at James. He turned away, embarrassed. "Come on, James, tell her!" Jazz pleaded, shacking his leg. "You're my daddy!" She said it again, as if she was trying to remind him. 

"Jessy..." Jessie said warningly. Jasmine looked over to her mom. "What did I tell you about lying?" James looked up. "Only bad girls lie." She finished warningly. 

Jazz stomped her foot. "I'm not a bad girl, and I'm not lying!" She yelled, sticking her tongue out. "James is my dad." She hugged his leg tighter. 

"James, what did you say to her?" Jessie demanded. 

"I didn't say anything." He said quietly, releasing her grip. "You should go with your mom." Jazz shook her head. 

"No, No!" She cried, grabbing him again. "Come on! You have to be my daddy!" James looked up at Jessie, her soft blue eyes were full of tears. As she watched her daughter, she bit her lip. 

"Jazz, dear, come here." Jessie finally said. Jasmine ran over, but stopped out of her reach. "You really want him to be your daddy?" Jazz nodded enthusiastically. "Well..." Jessie hugged her tightly, and James saw a tear fall from her eye. "I'm sorry, Jazz, I'm so sorry." She nearly started crying, but caught herself. "Come on, Jazzy. We'd better go." She tried to sound happy. "I made a big sale today! Let's get pizza!" Jasmine shook her head. 

"Only if James comes with us." She said. "He's coming too." She folded her arms and turned to him. "You will come, right?" 

James cleared his throat. There were a million things he could have said, a million reasons why he shouldn't go. At the moment, not one would come to him. "If it's all right with your mom." He finally consented. 

Jasmine turned her huge, violet-blue eyes on her mother. "Please Mommy?" She begged. 

"Jasmine..." She gulped. She had always been too soft on her daughter. "If that's what you really want..." She sighed, then hung her head. "He can come." James went slightly stiff. He hadn't expected her to agree like that. "Come on." Jessie motioned, not looking at him. "There's a good place down this way." 

"It has games!" Jasmine yelled over her shoulder as she followed her mom. "It's really fun!" James watched sullenly for a moment, then followed. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jessie and James sat down on opposite sides of the booth, avoiding each other's glances. A waitress got there, and Jessie ordered pepperoni. "Is that okay?" She asked, looking at Jazz. She nodded, and James shrugged. He had never cared for pizza anyway, Jessie knew that. 

"It's going to take forever." Jazzy whined. "I want to go play." A game caught her eye, and she turned to James. "Have you got any quarters, James?" He reached into his pocket and found three. "Yeah! Thanks!" She gave him a quick hug, and ran off. 

"She's adorable..." It took him a moment to realize that he had said that out loud. He blushed slightly, but decided to continue. "She's really sweet." 

"I remember when I used to be like that..." James looked over at Jessie, she seemed to be almost envious of her daughter. "If I'd known how hard it was... Maybe I'd have made better choices. I wasn't ready to be her mom." 

"Well, you must have done something right." James pointed out. "For her to turn out like this." He paused for a second. "She said her father was dead." He finally said. "Is that true?" Jessie turned to him, surprisingly angry. 

"Why, you little... You're just using her!" She grabbed him by the collar. "You just want to know about who I've been with, and you're dragging poor Jasmine into your sick game!" He shook his head rapidly. "Then, what were you talking to her about her father for?" She demanded. "If you dare even think about hurting her like that, I'll..." 

"I merely asked if her father was still around. I didn't want to get us both in trouble if you two were still together. I don't consider that prying." James gagged, and she grudgingly released him. He turned away, but Jessie could tell he was holding back tears. 

"Why?" He didn't look at her, but she continued anyway. "Why are you back, James? Haven't I done enough to you?" He nodded, but didn't say anything. "I don't see why, James. I didn't think you'd come back." Her voice cracked. "Do you like being treated this way?" 

"Yeah, of course I do." He said sarcastically. "I mean, being grossly unappreciated, spending all of your time chasing after a girl who doesn't love you..." Jessie almost cut him off, but decided to wait until he was done. "...And knowing I'll never know any better." He sighed. "Jess, I still love you. I don't know why, I but do." She turned away. 

"Don't say that." She whispered. 

"It's still true, whether I say it or not." He reminded her. "Jessie..." He reached out and touched her hand, and she shook her head, trembling slightly. "Do you still love me? Do you feel anything for me?" 

She looked into his eyes, then totally away. "I, I..." She gulped hard. "I..." She squeezed her eyes shut. "I don't know." A blatant lie, but she was afraid of the truth. She looked at the floor, avoiding his stare as best she could. "No..." 

He clasped her hand tightly in his, then suddenly, almost violently pulled away. Before she could figure out what he was doing, he had her glove stripped off. There, on her slim white hand, was a tiny diamond ring. "Then what's this?" He slid it off. 

"James, I..." Was he taking it back?! He had every reason to, she had broken every promise she had made to him when he had given it to her. Still, after all these years it felt like part of her. This was the first time she'd taken it off. 

"Make it double." He almost smiled, examining the inner rim. "This is the one I gave you, all right." She had never realized it had an inscription. "You've been wearing gloves this whole time. I hadn't noticed it." He looked up at her. "Do you love me?" This time, a slight grin played across his face. He knew he had her. She nodded quietly, and he slipped the ring back on. 

"Why did you lie?" She bit her lip. "What aren't you telling me? You can't love me and hate me." 

"James...." She closed her eyes, gathering her courage. "How I feel isn't important anymore." She looked at him. "You won't want to hear this." 

"I'm ready." He assured her. "Just tell me the truth." 

"We can't be together. Ever." Short, to the point, and deadly. Just like her. 

"You can't mean that." 

"You don't understand, James. We **can't** be together. It was part of the agreement." She was trying her best not to cry. 

"What agreement?" James was suddenly nervous. Very nervous. 

I promised Jasmine's grandma that if she would pay for my bills, I would never tell anyone who Jasmine's father is. She agreed, but only if I also swore I'd never see you again." She buried her head in her arms. "I couldn't afford it by myself, James. I had no other options. None." 

"Why me? What's wrong with me?" James muttered, too stunned to say anything. "Jessie, how can she do this?" 

"I'm putting us all in more than enough danger as it is." Jessie said firmly. "I can't tell you any more. I'm sorry." She turned away. "I tried to warn you. I never thought you would forgive me. I... She bought me a house, James. Jasmine and I would be on the streets if I had refused. I was too scared to.. She might have had us killed if I refuse. I'm sorry." 

"Jessie, who's treating you like this?!" James was suddenly mad, madder then she'd ever seen him before. Even when he had discovered the first of her dark secrets, he hadn't been this mad. "Who?!" He hissed. "She can't do this to you, she can't do this to us!" 

"I'm afraid she can, James." Jessie whispered. "Anything she wants." She paused for a minute, fiddling with the ring. "I'm sorry I left, James. I thought it would be easier on you if you'd thought I'd simply left you. I didn't think you'd want to know." She shook her head. "I always wanted to be with you." 

"No one should be treated that way! You can't tell... you can't force someone to do something like that!" He was trying not to show his anger, but his voice was increasingly loud. A few people in other booths turned to give him dirty looks, and he added more quietly: "I won't let her do this. I can't." 

"You're making this so difficult." She turned away, and her eyes fell on Jasmine. "I can't let her get hurt. That's why I keep asking you to leave. I didn't want Jasmine to meet you." She turned back to him. "But she already has, James. Why?" That word had come up so often. "I never thought you'd find me, James. I never thought you could forgive me. Why? It'll break her heart when you leave." 

"I'm not leaving." He said firmly, then turned to watch Jazz as well. "You should have come to me." He finally said. "I'd have found a way to get the money." 

"You never wanted children. You told me that yourself. Remember?" 

"But I loved you. I would have done anything for you..." 

"You said we couldn't afford it." 

"That was when it was just talking. At least I thought it was. If I'd known you were this serious, I would have done anything." 

"Even pay for another man's child?" 

"If it were that or loose you. I'd have gotten money from somewhere." He gulped. "I've only known her for a day, and she's already got me wrapped around her finger. She's so much like you." His voice cracked. 

"You should have said that..." She whispered, and they both returned to watching Jasmine. 

"Order 32?" The waitress asked, holding out a pizza. 

Jessie and James both looked up, aroused from deep though. "Yes, that's us." Jessie said. "Jasmine, come here!" She turned back to James. "Please don't mention any of this in front of her." She begged. "We'll talk later." 

"Hi, Mommy!" Jasmine greeted. "Hi, James!" She sat down. "Boy, I'm hungry. I could eat an entire tauros!" She reached for a slice. 

"That's good, because I'm not hungry." James announced. "You can have as much as you want." Jazz grinned and took the largest piece. 

"I'll be back." Jessie said, motioning toward the bathroom. "Try to save me a little, okay?" 

"No promises." Jasmine warned, before taking a huge bite. 

Jessie slipped into the bathroom and looked at her reflection. She really did look as old as she felt. James hadn't seemed to age at all, but she felt at least eighty. She glared at her reflection, then reached into her purse to grab some makeup. She could at least get rid of the streaks on her face. Could it work? Suddenly, her hand brushed a piece of paper. She hadn't remembered putting anything in her purse. Curious, she pulled it out. Her blood went cold as she realized it was a note. Shakily, she opened it up and read it:   


_You have been warned._

And then she screamed. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Your mom is sure taking a long time." James commented, glancing back at the ladies' room. "Does it always take her this long?" Jazz nodded, finishing off her third slice. "What does she do in there?" 

"Makeup." Jasmine answered. "It means she wants to impress you." 

"I hope you're right, Jasmine." He said. "I hope you're right." 

Suddenly, he felt Jessie standing behind him. "Jazz, we have to go." She said quickly. James noticed she looked horribly frazzled. "Now." 

"But, Mommy..." Jasmine whined. 

"Now, Jessy!" Jessie said firmly, grabbing her arm. "Goodbye James." 

"Jessie, what's wrong?" James asked, standing. 

"Don't follow us, James, you've done enough." She warned. "Come along, Jessy." 

"But Mommy!" Jasmine yelled louder. "He's my Daddy!" 

"No he isn't!" Jessie snapped. 

Jasmine's eyes filled with tears. "Only bad girls lie." She cried, following her mother. 

"Jessie, Wait!" James yelled. He threw some money on the table and ran after her. "Jessie!" The entire restaurant was watching them by now, but he couldn't care less. 

She sped up when she heard him follow her, but Jasmine was doing anything but helping, and he caught up with her quickly. "Jessie, what happened?!" He grabbed her wrist. "Please, answer me!" She spun around, momentarily releasing her grip on Jasmine's arm, and delivered a sharp, stinging slap to his face with her free hand. 

He reeled back, shocked. As he put a hand to his face, she saw a trace of blood. With a start, she realized she had cut his face with her ring. With _his_ ring. She choked on a sob and pulled it off. "Take this back." She gulped. "Just go." He just stared at her numbly with those gorgeous green eyes. _"Not again..."_ Why couldn't he just leave? Why did he always insist in getting hurt? "I said..." 

"I only wanted to help." His voice seemed distant, almost dead.. "I'm sorry." Before she could say anything, he turned. "Jasmine, I'm sorry I won't be able to be your dad. Jessie..." He turned back for a second. "Enjoy your life. I won't meddle with it anymore." His voice cracked. "Goodbye." 

It was all she could do to keep from running after him. "_For Jasmine... This is for Jasmine..._" She tried to remind herself. But as she looked at her daughter's tear-streaked face, even she had trouble believing this was right. "Goodbye, James." She finally whispered to the dim silhouette. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I hate you!" Jasmine screamed as the two walked in the door to their house. "You hit Daddy! I hate you!" Jessie silently closed the door behind her, locking it. "Where's Daddy? When's he getting home?!" She demanded. "I want my daddy!" Suddenly, she heard a thud behind her. She looked back to see her mother curled up in a tight ball on the floor, sobbing like a baby. "Mommy?" 

"Jasmine, I'm sorry." Jessie cried. "I'm sorry I hit him, I'm sorry I yelled at you." Jasmine walked over to her mom, and dropped to her knees. "I'm sorry I lied to you. I only wanted to protect you, Jasmine. I love you so much." She sobbed. "I couldn't live with myself if I knew I got you hurt." 

Jasmine's eyes were full of disbelief. "You're crying, Mommy." She whispered. "Mommies don't cry." Suddenly, Jasmine seemed to realize how hard this was. "Mommy!" Jasmine threw herself against her mom, crying too. "I'm sorry too, Mommy. I love you..." 

When Mary got home that night, she found them asleep in the hallway, still hugging. "Oh, Jessie." She whispered, shaking her head. "Poor dear..." She dropped her coat over the two of them. "My poor darling..." 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
_A few days later...   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

A young woman with deep purple hair answered the door. "James?! What are you doing here?!" She exclaimed. He looked like something the cat hadn't bothered to drag in. 

"Becky, I need your help." James explained. "Do you have the results for Jasmine's paternity test? I heard she took it here." 

"Jasmine's tests?" Becky asked, surprised. "What do you want with the tests? Jessie told me not to give them to anyone, least of all you. She said her life was in danger." Becky moved back into the doorway a little. 

"That's why I need them." James replied. "I need to find out who's doing this to her. I have to stop them. Please, Becky?" 

Becky looked at him suspiciously. "Jessie said you were through with her. She said she personally made sure of it. It tore her apart.. I assumed that meant you were gonna keep your nose out of this." 

"She lies to me so often, Becky." James sighed. "I can forgive myself for lying to her this once." 

Becky shook her head slightly. "You're not ready for this, James." 

"I'm ready for anything." He assured her. 

To be continued.... 

Jasmine! Isn't she cute, folks? I owe a part of Jasmine to my niece Mikaila. That scene where Jasmine takes James's koffing was inspired by a time Mikaila tried to steal my James card. (She put it in her pile of cards, then began shuffling through them while saying: "Let me see if **I** have a James card." When she saw I had taken it back, she pretended not to notice and said "Still looking!") She's only four, though. 

Sorry to end this again. There seem to be no good ending places in this story. The next chapter is coming soon, so take heart. 

Reviews, please! ^_^ The first chapter got half as many reviews as Perfection, but I think this story is a million times better. What do you think? 


	3. Unreplacable: A Pricless Treasure

Unreplacable:   
A Priceless Treasure

_Okies, I've gotten another HUGE mental block on this story. Since it's obvious I'm not going to be able to further the plot for a while, I've decided to go back and explain some of the parts we've missed. I don't much care for it, but it's better than nothing, eh? Again, this series has a __Strong_ PG-13 Warning. Mostly adult content, but some swearing and a tad of violence too. Proceed with caution. These ain't mine, nothing's copyrighted, take 'em if ya want 'em. 

    "James, I promised..." Becky protested. "I told Jessie that I would never, ever, under any circumstances, let anybody see those papers. She practically had me sign an oath in blood. She was really nervous about it."     "I don't have to see them..." James countered. "If you read them to me."     "I promised her I wouldn't do that, either." Becky replied.     "Dang. How about paraphrasing? Can you do that?"     "No dice."     "What a drag." He thought about it for a moment. "What if I named every man I've ever known, and you stopped me if I named him?" He asked. "Would that work? Did she say you couldn't do that?" Becky nodded. "Dang it..." He was becoming increasingly frustrated. "She knows me too well. How about if..."     Becky sighed. "Tell you what, James. I'll give you five questions, and then you leave me alone. I think I could live with myself for that."     "Five? Let's see... Do I know him?" James asked.     "Yes. That's one."     "Does he work for Team Rocket? Or did he?"     "Yes. That's two."     "Did I know him before that?"     "Yes. That's three."     "Is he around her age?"     "Yes. That's four." James was silent, and Becky turned to him. "Do you have a last one for me?" He shook his head.      "I only have one question left!" James protested. He had blown through his first four, but he wasn't sure what to ask for this last one. "Give me time to think about it!" He scrunched his face up, thinking deeply.     "That's right, James. You have one question left. Choose it wisely." Becky replied. "What's most important to you?     James thought for a little while longer. "Did Jessie love him?" He finally decided.     "James, that's not fair!" Becky complained. "How am I supposed to know how Jessie felt? Chose something else." James shook his head.     "You asked what's most important to me." He replied. "And that's what it is. At least guess. You must know more than I do. Becky looked at him for a minute.     "That's really more important to you than anything else?" He nodded. "Okay..." She attempted to explain. "It came as a shock to me. I never thought she'd have a relationship with him." She said slowly. "But I never really saw them together after she got pregnant. He never was around." She looked at him. "Jessie once told me that she had never really loved a man until she met you, James. She said she had made some stupid mistakes, but she wished she could make them right."     "Then why didn't she talk to me?" James asked.     "She was planning to." Becky stated. "Remember that day you came in for that performance review? She was planning to tell you all about it then, and ask you if you would take her back. But you surprised her, and you ran away before she could explain."     "If I had known..." James murmured. "If I had only known."     "After that, she lost all hope." Becky said. "She just sort of wandered around, feeling lost. I felt so sorry for her..."     "Wait a minute..." James interrupted. "She already knew she was pregnant when I went in? That means she got pregnant, right after she left me!" Becky cringed at the hurt look on his face. Would it really be better to leave him like this? Could he handle that?     "James..." She bit her lip, then quietly continued. "She was pregnant _when_ she left you." James gasped.     "But, then...." He mumbled. "She....." He shook his head numbly. "No! That can't be!" He shook his head, sitting down. "No!" He looked up at her. "Becky, no!"     "How thick is your skull?!" Becky yelled. "This isn't two plus two, it's one plus one!" She glared at him, then cleared her throat. "I won't tell you anything else, James. You should leave."     He stared up blankly. "What do you mean?" she stamped her foot.     "James....." She took a deep breath. "Think about it." He did, but couldn't seem to see what she was aiming at. "Think. Just think of who the father could be. Who do you know; your age, from Team Rocket...."     "Only Butch, and Billy, and a few others. But none of them are Jessie's type. Are they?" He shook his head. "It was Butch, wasn't it? She just wanted to get back at Cassidy, didn't she? Nooo... Is she like that?" He was getting more and more tense. "She wouldn't.. She might... She didn't, she..."     **"James, just leave!!!"** Becky screamed. " Jessie was right, you are an idiot. I never thought you would go this long without figuring it out." She motioned to the door. "Just go think about it. If you have any brain at all, it will come to you eventually."     "But, I..." James was even more numb looking now.     "James, please. I promised Jessie." Becky said quietly. "You don't want me to lie to her, do you?" He shook his head. "Then just think about it. It's obvious." She patted his shoulder re-assuringly. "I'm sure you'll figure it out. And no one said you couldn't do that." She reminded him, smiling apologetically. James nodded and reluctantly left. 

...

    "But Jessie said..." He pondered aloud, lying on the bed of his hotel room. "She said she wanted my children. Why would she ask me for kids, if she already had one on the way?" He rolled on his side. "Think, James, think!" He reprimanded himself. "He works for Team Rocket, he's around her age, he's someone she was around... That narrows it down a lot... and it's someone I wouldn't expect., someone who could have spent time around her without me realizing what was happening..." He squeezed his eyes shut, thinking as hard as he could. "Jessie's not stupid. It would take a while for any man to get that close to her. Probably years... But that only leaves one person..." His eyes shot wide open.     "Me." If a million tons of bricks had hit him at once, it might have stunned him less then the realization of what was happening. Of what had happened. "Oh my God..." He shook his head as a dizzying lightheadedness came to him. Rich, bitter parents... "Jasmine..." His daughter... He felt unconsciousness and nausea sweep over him in waves, nearly overcome by the feelings that were coursing through him. "Jessie." The last word, the only word he could think of before he gave in to the darkness that surrounded him, and he repeated it as long as he could. "Jessie..."     

---

    "Boss?" The young woman said nervously, stepping into the large office.     The large man on the other side of the room glanced up from a paper. "What do you want?" He demanded. "What are you doing here?"     "Sir, I... I need to get transferred." She replied. "From my current team." Her frazzled hair and bagged eyes forced him to ask why.     "What's wrong with yours?" He asked.     "Well, you see... James... James, he.. he..." She stumbled over her words, trying to find a nice way to say what she wanted. "I just can't be around him for a while." She finally said. "Something happened... I can't face him right now."     He looked up at her and seemed to realize what had happened. He sighed. "I believe I warned you about this. We don't normally approve of coed teams. Men can have problems dealing with their... 'emotions'. It's not wise to leave them alone with an unguarded woman. A girl needs protection..." He threw an admiring look at her thin body, barely concealed by her scant uniform, then nodded again. "Especially one like you. That's why I sent Meowth..."     "No." She gulped. "It wasn't like that. He never... forced me to do anything. It just happened." She blushed. "It was just as much my fault as his."     He shoot her an irritated glance. "Then, what's the problem? Things just aren't working out?" his voice was thick with sarcasm. "Stop wasting my time."     "Well, you see, sir, I..." She took a deep breath, then blurted out: "I'm pregnant!"     He nodded. "And?" Come to think of it, Jessie was way too weight-sensitive to allow for the small pooching stomach she had now. Although hardly noticeable, it would have driven her crazy.     "What's and? I'm pregnant!" She said defensively, putting a hand on her stomach. Isn't that enough?" He shook his head and began rubbing a temple.     "Look, Jessica." He grumbled. "I'm your boss. I don't have time to play psychiatrist for my employees. Is it his?" He asked. Jessie blushed even harder as she nodded. "And that's positive?" She nodded more vigorously. "Then, what is the problem?" He asked wearily. "Why are you leaving?"     She looked at her feet. "James doesn't want children." She whispered. "I don't know what to tell him."     Giovanni nodded with approval. "At least one of you is thinking straight." Jessie looked up slightly. "You know your medical plan doesn't cover pregnancy." He reminded her. "It only pays if you're... ending one."     "No!" She yelled, putting her other hand around her stomach. "I'm keeping her."     He raised an eyebrow. "It's a little soon to call 'it' a 'her', isn't it?"     She put sat back, hugging her legs against her chest and covering her stomach as she could. "I'm not giving her up. I'll keep her, no matter what. I just need some time." She looked up. "Can I get a desk job? Just for a while?" When she got no response, she tried again. "Just until I can find out how to tell James."     Govanni shook his head disapprovingly. "You know, Jessica, your sick infatuation with imitating your mother is getting out of hand. I can understand following your mother's occupation, even using the Pokémon your mother used. But to have a child, at the age your mother had you, and assume it will be a girl, is a bit too far." His voice rose as he spoke. "Your delusions are going to get you killed."     Jessie just frowned at him, crunching herself into a protective ball around her stomach. She did have courage, he would give her that. And she was persistent to a fault. There was no bending her will once she got an idea in her mind. "Fine." He consented. "You can stay here... For a while." She smiled thankfully. "Just watch yourself, will you?"     "Don't worry about me, sir." She grumbled, rising to leave. "I can take care of myself. Things will work out." 

---

    Jessie woke with a start, covered in cold sweat. Alone. She had been having flashbacks to that night for days now. It was killing her nerves. "James...." She whispered. "This is all my fault." She hid her face in the pillow, crying. "I should never have left. I'm sorry..." Every night, she went through this. But she would never get the chance to apologize in person.     She heard the door crack softly. "Momma?" Jasmine asked, standing in the doorway. "Are you awake?" Jessie nodded. "Can I come in? I wanna sleep here."     "Of course, honey." Jessie replied. "Of course." Jasmine ran up and jumped in next to her mom, snuggling deep under the covers. "Sometimes, it's too scary to sleep alone..." She kissed her forehead, then wrapped her arms around her. "We all need to know we're loved." Jessie kissed her again, then tried to sleep.     "Mommy?"     "Yeah, honey?"     "James really was my daddy, wasn't he?" Jasmine said quietly.     "Yes..." Jessie whispered. "Yes, he was. He still is." She hugged her even more tightly. "He will always be your daddy." She was crying softly, but Jasmine was getting used to it. "And he will always love you. Always. Just like I love you."     "I miss him..." Jasmine said quietly. "I miss my Daddy..." She started to cry too, and the two of them cried themselves to sleep. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Jessie woke up late, again. She called the office to tell them she wouldn't be showing up, again. "That's three times this week, Mrs. Miyamoto." Her boss reminded her, trying to hide his exasperation. "We can't keep unproductive saleswomen."     "I'm well aware of that, sir." Jessie responded blankly. "Good-bye." She numbly set the phone back in the cradle, ignoring the protests of the man on the other side of the line. With or without a job, what did it matter anyway? She certainly didn't give a damn anymore. She hated the job, anyway. She sat down on the couch, flipping the TV on as a diversion. "Honey, Sailor Moon is on!" She called to Jasmine. "Do you want to watch?"     "Yeah!" Jasmine giggled, sitting down next to her mother. "I love Sailor Moon!" As Jasmine cuddled up next to her mom, Jessie gave the screen an uninterested glance. The blonde girl, Sailor Moon, right? was lying on a park bench. Some sleep spell.     "She's dreaming she's running out of energy that falls asleep forever. Except there's no waking from this dream is real." The Negamonster explained.     "_Who the heck does the translating on this thing?_" Jessie wondered. "_A bad dub can totally destroy a good cartoon._" Not that this was a particularly good cartoon. That whiny one was out cold, having nightmares about being dumped by her man. "What a wimp. She's actually going to let herself die, rather than accept that she's been dumped?" Jessie muttered under her breath. Sailor Moon had always been a little too clingy for her. However, she was beginning to notice some disturbing similarities between the long-haired twit and herself. "Don't you want to watch something different?" Jessie asked hopefully. Jasmine shook her head.     "Sailor Moon, you can't leave us!" one of the girls yelled. Jessie shook her head. She hadn't watched this show in a while... There was something about it she hated. But what? Suddenly, a young man appeared on the screen. Jessie stiffened. She remembered him.     "Jasmine, you're too young for this sort of thing." She complained, trying to take the remote back from her daughter. Jasmine protested and tried to hold it away. "You give me that, Jessy, or I'll..." Too late. The man had already transformed, and Jessie gave a choked sob. The tuxedo, the roses, it was all too much, too soon, too familiar. Roses always reminded her of James, but the tux only reminded her of one night. That night, the night that had turned her life upside down... 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    "James, hurry up! We don't want to be late!" Jessie complained, looking at her watch while taping her foot impatiently. She turned to the mirror to check her reflection again. Perfect, as usual, but she just wanted to make sure. The deep green strapless gown she had on now made her look older than her seventeen years, it made her feel wild and dangerous. She shot a sultry glance at the mirror, then turned back around. "James!" She nearly bumped into him.     "Jessie, I need help with my tie!" He whined, then looked at her. "Jessie, you're not going in that!?" He protested.     "And why not?" She asked, tying the bow-tie for him. "You don't see me complaining about what you're wearing." And with good reason. James looked surprisingly good in his tuxedo, and she pinched his cheek playfully. "If I were you, I'd watch out for myself." She teased.     He reached up his hand, touching hers, and looked into her eyes. "You worry me, Jess." He said quietly.     "Stop it." She chided, pulling her hand away. It always made her nervous when he got that way. James was a friend of hers, but only a friend. Normally, he knew his place. It was very rarely that he got like this, trying to stand in the way of her shameless flirting. "Don't worry, Mom. I can handle myself." She teased. He turned bright red, and she bit her tongue. Each time she belittled him, she felt a little worse about it... But to accept James was to settle for second-best, and danged if she would ever let that happen. "Come on." She grabbed his arm and pulled him out the door. 

---

    Jessie released his arm and immediately started weaving through the crowd. "Bye, James, don't wait up!" She called over her shoulder.     "But Jessie...." He shook his head. Why did she always treat him like this? He hated Team parties. Jessie would always have some fling with whatever creep she could hook up with and disappear. Being a coed team, they had separate rooms, and he never knew how late she stayed out. (Unless she had a particularly large fight, and he happened to hear it) However, she would always show up the next day tiered and cranky. Her little flames never worked out, and for the next couple of weeks he would be taking the blows for another heartless bastard he had never met. And all just to be around her...     So why did it sound so good? When he had left home, he had promised never again to let a woman take control over him again. And yet, less than two months later, he had willfully surrendered his freedom (Which he had worked so hard to obtain) to be around with Jessie. "When am I going to learn?" He asked out loud to no one in particular. Then he went to take his usual place by the refreshment table.     "Hello, Ma'am." Jessie turned to meet a tall, dark haired man. "May I have this dance?" He held out a hand, and she shyly took it. "My name is Jackson..." He introduced as he led her out. "May I have your name, Miss?"     "I'm Jessie..." She stuttered, trying to keep pace with him. She and James had synchronized their actions over time, but she was hopeless when it came to dancing with other men. She hoped she didn't look as clumsy as she felt...     "It's an honor to meet you, Jessie..." He said smoothly as he took her waist to begin the dance.     James took a few crackers from the table, munching on them distractedly as his eyes followed Jessie. That was quick. She was already on the floor with a man (Which, James noted, looked way too old for her) and having the time of her life. He shook his head and reached for a glass of punch.     "Excuse me, sir, are you waiting for someone?" A girl asked, stepping up next to him. "Hi, my name's Bonney. I work with William." She grinned. "You're James, right?" He nodded. "Dance with me?" She asked.     He looked at her for a moment, surprised at her forwardness. "No..." He finally said. "No thank you, I'm just waiting." She frowned for a moment, then followed his gaze.     "Oh, I see..." She said when she saw who he was looking at. "Don't worry, I'm just trying to make Billy jealous, too." She grabbed his arm. "Come on, one dance?" James mildly resisted, but finally nodded. "Come on!" She dragged him out onto the floor.     It was a short dance, but too long for James. He kept trying to watch Jessie as she spun in and out of view. She had stopped to get a glass of punch, still talking to that guy. He tried to lead Bonney that way, but Jessie disappeared.     Finally, he sighed. He probably was being too protective of her. It was obvious she liked the way she was living. He shouldn't try to get in the way. As much as he hated that, he couldn't force her to be more than she was. He was only pushing her away. "Let's get something to drink." He said when the dance was over.     "Sure." Bonney replied, and they headed for the table. He took a glass, and halfheartedly sipped it. It had a funny taste to it... "James, does this taste strange?" Bonney asked. "I think there's something in this stuff!" She took another, tiny sip. "This stuff has been spiked!" She turned to James. "We have to tell someone!"     James felt his stomach tighten. "Jessie was drinking it." He noted, and Bonney gasped. "I'll find the guards." She decided. "You go find your partner!" James nodded and ran off. 

---

    Jessie leaned against the hood of a company jeep, trying to keep her balance. She felt surprisingly disoriented. "Jackson?" She hated to pass up such a seemingly perfect date, but she really wasn't feeling at her best. "I think I'm getting sick..." Her voice sounded distant, like it was coming from somewhere else. "I need to go back to my room." She slouched slightly.     "All in good time, my dear." He said, and she looked up. "I'm not done with you yet." Her eyes widened as he walked towards her menacingly, leaning over her. "In fact..." He let his finger trace down her neck. "I haven't even started..." She tried to pull back, but felt too weak even for that...     "No...." She protested lightly as he leaned over and kissed her. She tried to take out her hammer, but it was too heavy, and he easily slapped it out of her hand.     "Calm down, dear." He whispered. "Just relax..." He pushed her back against the hood. "I won't hurt you." She had trouble believing that he meant that.     She closed her eyes. After all she'd said today, she had this coming... but she couldn't imagine letting this creep have his way. She took a deep breath, then screamed at the top of her lungs... 

---

    "JAMES!!!!!!" at the sound of her yell, he jumped. It was faint, but he was almost certain it had come from the parking complex near building C.     "I'm coming, Jessie." He said quietly, running towards the sound of her voice. 

---

    "That's enough out of you!" Jackson said harshly, forcing her back against the hood. With one hand on her wrists to pin her in place, he tore off one side of her sash. "This oughta keep you quiet..." He tied it around her mouth, gagging her. "Now, just sit still. I don't want to hurt you." He whispered, leaning over her menacingly.     "Prepare for Trouble!" James yelled as Weezing's thick fumes filled the parking complex. Jessie attempted to say the next part, but only managed to make a few muffled grunts. It didn't really matter, Jackson swung at him before he could get any of his line out. Jessie screamed as Jackson hit James square in the jaw, knocking him off balance. As she watched, James tossed his jacket at her. (She wasn't sure if he was protecting her decency or merely trying to discard the heavy clothing, but was thankful for it.)     "You son of a..." A few more yells and the sound of two men fighting made her hide behind the jacket, fighting back tears. She had always dreamed of having men fight over her. Now, as she heard her best friend scream in pain as Jackson punched him again, she realized how selfish she was.     "James, just go!" She yelled against the sash, not daring to look. "Save yourself!" No luck. He probably couldn't understand anyway. The two continued the grizzly battle, with Jessie too preoccupied with trying to stay awake to be of any help. Finally, she heard one of them fall. "James!" She yelled, turning slightly to look at the victor. In the dim, hazy green light of an emergency exit light, she could barely make out the silhouette of a figure, but was unsure of who it was. She cowered against the hood as they started towards her. "James?!"     "If I were you, I'd watch out for myself." James said tiredly, repeating what she had said earlier. He shook his head. "I can't believe you, Jessie." She struggled to untie the gag, but felt his hands reach under her.     "What are you doing?" She muttered, finally removing her sash.     "You can't walk by yourself, can you?" She thought about it for a moment, then shook her head. "Then don't complain." He said curtly.     "James, I'm sorry..." She whispered. As they stepped into the more light-filled hallway, she saw that his left eye was swollen almost completely shut. A thin trail of blood spilled from his lip. "I'm so sorry."     "Yeah, whatever." He was too sore and too angry to accept any apologies. After all, she had every right to be sorry. After what he had done for her, she owed him big time. And, as usual, she was just going to chalk it up to being a friend and forget about it. He headed towards the temporary rooms.     "Uhhh, James? My room is in building L." Jessie said quietly. She was pretty certain he already knew, but just wanted to be sure.     "You think I'm letting you out of my sight after that little incident?" James retorted, and she winced. "You're not going anywhere until you're sobered up, girl." He got to his room and balanced her on one leg to unlock his door. "I need a shower." He grumbled as he stepped inside, maintaining his precarious grip on her waist as he turned on the light. "You're sleeping here." He rather unceremoniously dropped her on the bed, and headed for the bathroom.     "James..." Jessie said from behind him.     "If you want something to wear, I've got some extra shirts in my suitcase." He motioned to it as he slammed the door behind him.     Once he got inside, he leaned against the door. He had been a little rough on her, he knew that, but she did have it coming. He would apologize later. He shook his head slightly, trying to clear it. He had drunken some of the spiked punch too, and his reasoning capabilities weren't at their best. It was just... He had been so scared. Afraid that he would loose, afraid that he would let her down, afraid that that man would do something horrible her while he lay unconscious on the asphalt. He would never have forgiven himself if he had lost that fight. Never.     "I guess I shouldn't blame Jessie..." He said aloud as he slipped out of the blood-stained tuxedo shirt. "She can't help the way she looks..." He turned on the water as he dropped his slacks. "I can't say I'm not guilty..." After all, back at Aopulco, his bikini had been just as revealing as hers was. (He was still embarrassed by that incident, but it had sounded like fun at the time) He stepped into the hot stream of water. "She's just too good for her own good."     The warm water felt so good as he watched the trickles of blood swirl down the drain. "I'll apologize when I get out." He finally said, relaxing as he let the tension of the fight disappear down the drain as well.     James slid into his pajamas, then looked in the mirror. "Yeck." His hair looked even more purple when it was wet. His mother had been purple haired, his father had blue. His hair always seemed to be somewhere in between. He had tried dye, but that only made it worse. It looked girlie. No wonder he was always dressing as one. But then, after all, he did make the coolest girl... After Jessie.     "Jess?" He whispered as he opened the door. "Hey, Jess, are you asleep already?" She didn't answer, so he walked over to her bed. "Jess?" A slight sniffle. "Jessie, are you crying?" She nodded slightly.     "I'm sorry, James." She whispered. "I'm sorry I got you involved in all that. It's just..." He put a finger to her lips, gently silencing her.     "It's not your fault." He assured her. "I don't blame you." He leaned over and kissed her forehead. "I still love you..." He could hardly believe he had just said that. On another day, he would have killed him for it, no questions asked. Under present circumstances, it seemed almost normal. She thought about it for a moment, then smiled at him.     "Really?" He nodded. "Thank you." She grinned. "That just made my day." He nodded again, then just smiled back. He had always managed to keep his personal feelings to himself, at least regarding her. Why was today so different? Why was she responding so well? He felt too good to even think about it.     "Yeah, Jessie." He leaned forward. "I'll always love you..." She didn't seem to mind as he gently brought his lips down onto hers "...Forever." She kissed him back, timidly wrapping her slender arms around his neck.. Slowly, he kissed her again and again as she scooted oven in his bed to make room for him.     "James...." She whispered quietly as he leaned over her. "Oh, James...." He began to kiss her neck, savoring the feel of her hot breath against his cheek.     "_This isn't you. You're not like this"_A nagging voice tried to remind him. "_You're just drunk. Don't ruin your future._" His mind begged. He repressed the thoughts, focusing on the beautiful woman apparently at his command. "_Think about it..._" One more kiss drowned his conscience out entirely. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    James stretched and opened his eyes. Boy, did he feel tiered... He couldn't seem to remember anything he had done last night, either. He yawned and struggled to sit up. He found himself tangled in his blankets, with his arms crossed over his chest. Wait a minute, one of those wasn't his. It was far too small, and besides his hand was over there, tangled in hair. Bright red hair... He looked over to see the angelic face of Jessie sleeping next to him and screamed.     "What?!" Jessie woke with a start. "What's happening?!" She looked around, and her gaze landed on James. "Oh... Hi." She said groggily.     "Jessie?!" He hissed, still shocked. "What's going on?" She frowned at him. His face was chalk white as the night's incidents began to flood back to him..     "Quiet down." Jessie grumbled, holding her pounding head. "If you can't figure it out, then..." Her voice was cut off by a sharp knock.     "Hey, James!" A slightly annoying voice yelled. "James, have you seen Jessie?" James looked around.     "Shoot!" He hardly managed to keep his voice below a yell. "Meowth! He's looking for you!" He turned. "Try to find some place to..." Jessie had already grabbed her torn dress off the floor and ran into the kitchen to hide. "Good." He opened the door.     "Well..." Meowth's voice trailed off when he looked at James. "Geez, boy, what happened to you?" James just shook his head. "Jessie ain't in her room." he said quietly. James nodded. That was true. "She stayed the night with some freak, didn't she? I can't believe that girl."     James nodded again. "But, she.." Yeah, Jess had stayed out with a real looser. He didn't want to get in trouble, but he felt bad, letting her take all the blame. "She..."     "James... I know how ya feel about her." Meowth said. "But you can't honestly believe that she's not out doin' stuff like that! Maybe the first time." Meowth waited, but James didn't say anything. "Or, the second, or the third, or maybe even the fourth. But you can't really believe she's still the innocent girl she claims to be. I know, I know. Yois care about Jessie. You love Jessie. Ya practically worship Jessie. But I know all too well how it tears you apart every time she's out playing whore. It's unforgivable."     "Don't call her that!" James snapped, turning to Meowth viciously. "Don't you dare call her that word!" Meowth stepped back, confused. "Jessie is as innocent as I am." He yelled. Had learned that last night. "She always has been." As hard as it was to believe, It was true. Now he felt even more awful for suspecting her all these years. Meowth shook his head, trying to understand what had brought this on. "Just leave. Go." James motioned to the door.     "All I can say, Jimmy, is that she don't know what she's missing." Meowth said finally. "I hope she realizes some day." He walked out the door. "When yois see your 'angel', tell her I need to talk to her." He closed the door behind him.     James sighed with relief and turned around. "He's gone, Jessie." He said, quietly. "You can come out now." He looked around. "Jessie, are you okay?." He heard some scraping under the sink, and opened the cabinet door. "Jessie?"     She was crunched up under it, hugging her dress to her chest. "I'm not talking to you." She said, turning away.     "Jessie..." He looked at her for a moment, the weight of what had happened just barely beginning to sink in. "Oh, Jessie... I'm so sorry." He whispered. She just shook her head. "Jessie..."     "Well..."She said, her voice slightly bitter. "I'm glad I stayed at your house. Just think of what could have happened to me." There was no mistaking the sarcasm in her voice.     "I'm sorry..." He repeated, offering her his hand. She refused it. "Jessie, please!" She started for the door. "Don't go!" She offered a single, raised finger over her shoulder in response. "Jessie, you're hardly wearing anything." He reminded her. It was true, she only had his pajama top.     "Funny, that didn't seem to bother you last night." She grumbled, turning and heading for the window. She looked out, there was some sort of meeting on the lawn between this building and L. She would never be able to sneak past it all.     "Jessie..." She cringed, unsure of whether to continue to ignore him or try to talk to him. "Jessie, I'm sorry about what happened. But I was..."     "You were drunk." She said curtly. "We all were. But..." She shook her head. "I don't know." She turned to him. "You were my friend, James. I'm not sure how to react." He put his hand on her shoulder. She turned to him.     "I'm sorry." He repeated again. "I had no control over it. I never would have done anything like that. You know that, don't you, Jess?" He took one hand in his. She glared at him, and he stepped back slightly. "Jessie, I..." "_If she hates me forever for this, I don't know what I'll do._" He cleared his throat and tried again. "I..."      A slap caught him off guard, knocking him to the ground. "I'm sorry if I'm not good enough for you!" She screamed, throwing herself on the bed and burying her head in a pillow. "I had it coming, you've proven your point. Just stop rubbing it in! Don't toy with me like this..." Her voice trailed off into sobs.     "Not good enough?" Now James was really confused. "Rubbing it in?" He sat down next to her, resting one hand on her back as she sobbed. "What point? Jessie, I don't understand. I didn't want to hurt you..."      She didn't lift her head, but finally decided to answer. "It was just the drink? Only because you were woozy?" He nodded and affirmed it. "Then, you don't feel anything for me?"     He cleared his throat. So that's what she meant... She was upset that he would 'dump' her after this! No, never! He would never want that! But he certainly didn't want scare her now... "Had I been sober, I would have shown more constraint..." He wasn't quite sure how to react. "I mean, I wouldn't have tried to..." He gulped and tried again.     She grabbed his collar, pulling him towards her. "Just tell me the truth." She nearly hissed in his ear. "Do you love me?" He was surprised at her forwardness, and pulled back slightly. "Do you?"     "Well, I..." He said quietly. She grabbed him closer, pressing him for an answer. He gulped again. "_God, she's beautiful._" He took a deep breath, trying to clear his head. "I..." He looked into her soft blue eyes for a moment, then nodded. "Yes." He whispered, his voice hardly audible. "I do."     She looked into his eyes, then rolled over, sitting on the side of the bed next to him. "Really?"     "Of course. like I've never loved anyone before." He whispered, captivated.     She searched his eyes until she was satisfied he was telling the truth, and calmed down considerably, seeming almost playful. "How much?" She rested a single finger on his chest, and gazed up expectedly.     "More than anything." He answered, gaining a little confidence. "I love you, Jessie." She grinned and closed her eyes, leaning towards him. He gulped and closed his own, but she pulled away at the last moment.     "Then, get me some clothes." She said, grabbing some keys and tossing them at him. He looked at her quizzically, and she looked down at herself. "You want me to go out like this? Just look at me!"     "Yes, Ma'am." He replied with mock enthusiasm, staring at her figure intently. "Anywhere in particular?" She did her best to hide a laugh.     "My fist, if you don't go get some clothes." She grumbled playfully. "Now, go!" He nodded, heading for the door. At the last moment, he turned back and looked at her. At first, it seemed like he meant it as a passing glance, but he was soon gawking again. "Stop that!" She chided, blushing.     "I'm sorry." He breathed, trying to break the gaze. "It's just I...." He paused, blushing. "You're gorgeous... I've never thought of you like..." He blushed harder. "You must think I'm a twit."     "I always have." She said lovingly. "I always have. Now go. They're in a bag next to my bed." He gave her one last loving glance, then headed out.     Jessie sighed, lying back on the bed. She felt like she should be more angry about all this, but part of her felt relieved. She'd been trying so hard to find another man, but for some reason, this seemed right. She rolled onto her back, starring at the ceiling. He was a good kisser. A _good_ kisser. She blushed, covering her cheeks. "James..." She said aloud, giggling     "_Stop it! You've lost James as your best friend, you could have been killed last night, you've violated at least three major sections of your code, and here you are giggling like a school girl about a kiss._" She nodded to herself and chuckled some more. "_Are you still drunk?_" "Maybe..." She said aloud. "But maybe... This is love?" She had never really considered herself in love before. This was serious stuff. "James an' me..." She burst out giggling again. "I think you're right, I must be wasted!" She laughed a little more, then sighed. "I hope it's always like this..."     But if it was just being drunk, it took two months to sober. The giddy feeling she felt that morning was nothing compared to the pure emotions that overcame her what James had done next payday. 

---

    "Yeah, James? What is it?" Jessie asked irately as she stepped behind the tree. It had been a horrible day. The diminutive checks they had gotten were small comfort after a particularly painful blast off. "What's so important that Meowth couldn't hear about it?" He turned to her with an impish grin. She sighed. "No."     His smile faded. "I wasn't even thinking about making out!" He protested. "Honestly!" Now, she was the one with the grin.     "And yet, you knew what I was talking about." She returned, and he blushed deeply. "So, if it wasn't that, then what?" That's what she had been expecting him to ask for. He rarely did, but he normally got that adorable look on his face. You know, the 'little boy on Christmas morning' look? Anyway, he was still blushing and muttering to himself. He seemed really uptight, like the last time he had tried to drink an entire expresso. "James?"     He shrieked and leapt back, like he had forgotten she was there. "Well, I..." He looked at his feet, then her, then back, in rapid succession. "I, you... we, I...I, um"     "Nice pronouns. What did you want to say?" She interrupted. He was beginning to get her curious. "Tell me..." She stepped forward so her face was only inches from his. "I'm waiting." He looked up, leaning back against the tree. "Yes?" One more step, and he was totally sandwiched between her and the bark. He gulped.     "I was just wondering..." He looked into her eyes, then stared submissively at the ground. Finally, he quietly whispered, "Do you want go to dinner tonight? My treat?" He asked it like he was trying to dodge his real question, but she decided to let it slide. After all, he didn't treat take her anywhere often. This was a very special treat.     "I'd love to." She whispered, kissing him on the cheek. He giggled softly. "Where?" He handed her a take-out menu to a French restaurant. Not the best in town, but only a few weeks ago he had been trying to talk her into flirting with the guy at the doughnut shop to try to get freebies. By James's standard, this was very romantic.     "Thank you, Jessie." He was still jumpy, but obviously pleased with himself for making it this far. "I'm so happy. Can I meet you there at 7:00?" He looked over his shoulder, then turned back. "I'll leave before, so Meowth doesn't catch on." He explained. She nodded.     "Sounds great to me, James." She said happily. "Sounds great." She leaned forward and gave him a soft kiss.. On the lips, this time. He hugged her gently, savoring it, yet still nervous. She pulled back. "I'll see you then." She walked away, winking over her shoulder.     He watched her for a moment then turned away. He took a deep breath, then hit his forehead against the tree. "Stupid, stupid, stupid..." He muttered to himself as he tried to knock some sense into his thick skull. "I should have asked her then..." He turned back. "What if she says no?" Then she would. He owed her the choice. "Jessie..." He had always cowered under her, but he was getting worse. While he had often been afraid of her hitting him, he had rarely been in fear of loosing his heart. This time was all or nothing. He would either become the happiest man on earth, or the most wretched. With his luck, this proved to be a very bad day.     Jessie sat down nervously. After that little *incident* in the parking lot, she hated to be alone. Even in the high-necked, knee-length dress she was wearing now, she still felt almost naked. James had better get there soon.     "Jessie..." She turned to see him standing over her. "I'm sorry I'm late, Jess." He sat down across from her. "Have you ordered yet?" She shook her head no, and he grinned. "Let me do it! I used to have to eat at places like this all the time. I've had everything on the list."     Jessie nodded. She normally didn't like the idea of things like that, but She couldn't even pronounce the names of most of the things on the menu, let alone figure out what they were. James grinned again and turned to the waiter, rattling off what sounded like enough food to feed a whole army. The waiter nodded. (Either the names were _very_ complex, or the waiter assumed their party hadn't arrived yet.)     James waited until the man was gone, then turned to her. "Jess..." He said nervously, adjusting his collar. "There's something I need to talk to you about..."     "Yeah, James? What is it?" Jessie asked innocently. He gulped, fumbling in his pocket and looking away. "What's up with you?" She frowned. "You've been so nervous lately." He looked back.     "Do you love me?" She blushed, turning away. "Do you?" She nodded slightly, giving a barely audible yes. "Would you prove it?" She looked back at him.     "What kind of 'proving' are we talking about?" She asked suspiciously. "Or do I want to know?"     He blushed more than her, slipping back into the hyper-tense attitude he had used this afternoon. "Well, I..." He squeezed his eyes shut, silently counting to three. Then he looked up. "Jessiewillyoumarryme?" he nearly yelled it, then froze with fear. The words flooded out in a rush, so close together she could hardly understand them. For a moment she just frowned at him, wondering if He'd lost his mind. Then the words began to make sense... She frowned, replaying the jumbled question.     "Did you just say..." She dropped the breadstick she had been nibbling on, staring back slack-jawed. _Marry you?_ Half of her body wanted to collapse into a giggly fit. A wedding... Wow! _You can do better._The other half of her protested.     James watched. He wasn't quite sure what Jessie was thinking, but it didn't look promising. _Do something!_ His mind yelled. _What?_ _Anything! What do they do on TV?_ His eyes brightened, and he stumbled out of his chair. Kneeling beside hers, he gently touched her hand. "Please, Jessica?"     She bit her lip. _Am I ready for this? Can I handle it?_ He took her hand more earnestly, looking up with huge, pleading eyes. "James.... I..." she stumbled for words. "I..."     "Please?" He was on the verge of tears, but tried to keep the desperation out of his voice. _nice going._ Had he screwed up this much already? "I would be the happiest man in the world..." He said quietly, his ambition draining as he reached into his pocket. "If you would give me the honor..." He took out a small velvet box. "It isn't much..." He admitted, lifting the lid. Nestled in the velvet was a tiny diamond ring.     She drew in her breath, and he cringed. It was so small... He had been reluctant to give it to her. Although it was all he could afford, it seemed almost blasphemous to present her with such a pathetic gem. Here he was, asking the woman who was practically his goddess to join him in a holy union, and the best offering he could give her was a 1/8 CT. Diamond on a ten carrot band. Disgraceful. He turned away, blushing.     "James..." She reached down, taking the box out of his hands. He looked up. "I've heard that an engagement ring should cost two months of a man's salary..." She mused, looking at it carefully. He opened his mouth to protest, but she cut him off. "You've been lying to me, boy." She said with gentle sarcasm. "It would take me three months to pay for this... At least." She grinned down at him. "And you said we made the same amount."     "Four." He admitted. "But I get more advances, so I get more of my check garnished." He was still blushing, but he seemed more happy now. "If I got my full check, I could have bought it in two months. I figured you deserved at least that." He looked up, a timid grin on his face. "So, will you?"     She bit her lip. _Fame, fortune... Everything you've dreamed of... Can he give you that?_ Her eyes were beginning to well with tears. _"Jessie, dear, I will always love you. I hope you never go through life without having people to love you. Remember, darling, that true happiness is that which you share with someone."_ Her mother's final words came back to her, and she broke down. "Yes, James.... I will.. I do."     The expression on his face was indescribable. But, still, I feel inclined to try. Try to picture this: Give James a billion dollars, tell him Jessibell is gone, let him have his mansion. Now, tell him the only catch is he has to spend two hundred dollars of his vast fortune a day, for the rest of his life, on doughnuts. Now, look at his face. "Jessie..."     "James, I love you!" She pushed her chair out of the way, kneeling next to him as she gave him in a huge hug. "I love you so much..." He nodded numbly, rubbing his cheek against her velvety-smooth skin as he stroked her hair.     "Excuse me, Madame, Monsignor." The waiter rudely interrupted the intimate scene. "Did you want your food, or should I put it on the floor for you?" They both blushed and got in their seats, facing each other. Her first guess had been right, James had ordered a mountain of food.     Fortunatelly, that was what they both wanted. James had been to tense to eat that day, and Jessie.... Well, Jessie was always hungry these days. At the time, she didn't know why. It would be at least two more weeks before she finally realized the truth... But we've already discussed that. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    "Auntie Mary, is Mommy going to be all right?" Jasmine asked, looking up at her aunt as she kneeled on the floor beside her mom. "What happened? She was just wachin' the TV, and then she fell over!" Mary shook her head and leaned over Jessie's fallen form nervously.     "I don't really know, dear." She poked her gently. "Jessie, dear, are you okay?" Jessie grumbled slightly, rolling over. "Jessie, what's going on?" She had been out for at least ten minutes, with no obvious source of her panic attack. "Are you okay?" She reached one hand out, nervously touching Jessie's forehead. "You feel OK...."     "What?" Jessie mumbled groggily. "Where?" She looked around, obviously unimpressed by her surroundings. "Oh..." She grumbled. "Here." She stood. "I can't take this any more...." She started for the phone.     "Jessie, what are you doing?" Mary asked nervously.     "I can't live like this. I'm calling Nina." Mary looked up at her. "Jasmine's grandma. I'll try to make a bargain or something, and if that doesn't work..." She walked out of the room. "Then, I'll figure something out." As she picked up the phone, she grinned slightly to herself. "_I'm not drunk.._" She assured herself. This crazy feeling was love.     In the next room, the TV was still going. Tuxedo Mask (The man who had caused the flashbacks) was dumping poor Sailor Moon. "Our love is like a rose... Beautiful while in bloom, but it cannot last."     Well, he was wrong. Love was, in many ways, like a rose. Soft, pretty, sometimes a deep scarlet. It had to be handled carefully, or the results would be painful. But, no. Love was more like a rosebush. Sometimes, it would be in full bloom. Other times, it might seem almost dead. However, with some time and caring, it could last forever.     Those memories had proved it. She wanted to be with James, she _needed_ to be with him. After all they had been through, they would find a way through this. Somehow, they would manage.     This was why she had tried to turn James away so many times. Because he did more than just love her. He made her feel reckless, he seemed to encourage her spontaneity. She had gone for six years without endangering her family. In four weeks, James had made her willing to throw her life away. And she didn't even care anymore. All she wanted was that forbidden family she had dreamed of so earnestly for so many years, yet been too afraid to reach for. She wanted to be a real mom, with a real dad at her side. And no one, not Lance, not Nina, would stop her.     "Hold on, Jasmine. I'm getting you that Daddy I promised you." She whispered as she started to dial. "Just you wait." 

To be Continued. 

Okay, so I just wanted to give an excuse for some major flashbacks, and I couldn't resist having Jessie make comments about dubbing. And Sailor Moon, but I could talk about that for hours. I didn't much care for this story, but it's okay. A mediocre story is better than none at all, eh? Nina is, of course, James's mom, and Lance is his dad. I got the name from the play _Nina in the Morning_, by Christopher Durang. Basically, it's about an eccentric, rich, conceited woman named Nina, her sleep-inducing-drug-administering butler Foote, and her children (Including her son, James). Lance was her chauffeur who was fired for not wanting to shoot a monk. 

Like I've mentioned before, the ends to both my ongoing series are at my website. My stupid counter is on the fritz, so I don't know if any of you have been visiting it. If you do, _please_ continue to review me here. If a story doesn't get a good reaction, I'm prone to stop writing for a while ^_^. You wouldn't want that, would you? Anyways, The reason I'm mentioning all this is 'cause some of my favorite fan art pictures are the ones I've done of Jasmine. I'd luv it if you'd check them out. Please? 

Ami! ~(^.^)~ 


	4. Unconditional: Forver

Unconditional   
Forever   
By Ami!

_Lesse: I don't own 'em, I don't plan to, I didn't even ask. I'm so evil (^_^)  To add to my evilness, I would like to remind ya'll that this is a PG-13 fic. That means adult content, light swearing, and *gasp of horror* violence. I've done pretty well about not killing people this time through, but this story may break my streak. Beware.   
Oh! I forgot about Lance the Dragon trainer! Sorry. I already named James' father 'Lance', after a different Lance. I don't want to change it now, so keep in mind that Lance is James's Dad, Nina, his mom, and that I've given the butler the full name 'Foote Hopkins'. Sorry to be so confusing!_

*Bring, bring, bring! Bring, bring, bring! Phone call, phone call* Whoever invented that ring should be drug out into the street and shot. It was the third ring, anyway. What was taking them so long? "Probably stuck in their coffins." Jessie grumbled as the phone re-started the annoying cycle. 

"Good evening. This is the Sassaké residence, I am Hopkins, the main butler. The Master and Mistress are currently unavailable. Might I take down a message for them?" The butler's stuffy voice crackled over the phone line. 

"Hello, Foote. This is Jessie..." before she could even finish her name, the butler cut her off. 

"Mistress Jessibel?!" The voice bellowed. "Allow me to get Lady Nina. She would be delighted to hear from you." On the other side of the line, Jessie grinned. So they were home, after all. A pleasant miss-understanding for her. She nearly spoke when Hopkins continued. "Lady Nina has been trying to speak to you for quite some time. You will be most happy to know that she has decided to get rid of James's... paramour." 

"What?!" Jessie hardly managed to keep her voice in check. "Now heavens, Foote..." She stumbled. "Why on earth would she want to do a li'l thing like that?" "_Better play along...._" She thought grimly. 

"We've found out where Master James is hiding. We knew that the harlot would lure him out some time. Lady Nina says that's the only reason why she's spared the girl this far. He's grown rather attached to her daughter." The butler cleared his throat, as if he seemed uneasy about what he was going to say next. "Lady Nina says that the child can be used as 'bait' to make sure the master listens. But Miss Jessica must go. Nina frightened the poor girl half to death, and she apparently made it clear that Master James was not to get anywhere near her or her daughter. That way, he won't be able to help." He coughed a little, growing more nervous. "Master James is obsessed with her... And little Jasmine." He paused for a minute, losing his train of thought, then changed the subject. "So, would you like to speak to..." 

Jessie hung up the phone numbly, without bothering to answer him. "Has to go?" She whispered, sliding down the wall. "She's going to have me..." Her eyes widened with fear. "No!" She crumpled into the smallest ball she could manage, quivering slightly with fear. "No, I don't want to die!" 

"Jessie, what's wrong?!" Mary yelled, running through the door. "Jessie?!" 

"Mommy!" Jasmine flung herself across the room, into her mother's arms. "What's goin' on, mommy?" Jessie might have answered, had Jasmine not already knocked the wind out of her. "Who was that on the phone?" Jasmine seemed more curious than afraid. "What did they want?" 

Jessie hugged her daughter tightly against her chest. "Grab what you can, Mary. We're leaving. Now." She said quietly, determinedly. "I'll try to get a car..." She grabbed the phone, then hesitated. Who did she know that had a car? James, but she'd never find him. Finally, she decided on a number. "Becky? Can you be here in ten minutes?" She asked nervously. 

"Five." Becky said quickly, hanging up the phone. She had no idea what was happening, but she could guess it was serious. She ran for her car. "I'm comin'..." 

As it turned out, it took Becky exactly four minutes and thirty-eight seconds to get there. Not that anyone was counting. "What happened?" She asked as she swerved onto the grass, jumping out the door. "Where am I taking you?" 

"I don't know, I don't care." Jessie said, pushing several books at Becky. "Is your trunk empty?" She pointed to a small pile of stuff beside the door. "I want as much as we can take..." Her eyes watered slightly at the small group of possessions. 

"Jessie..." Becky said quietly. She knew full well how hard Jessie had worked to get her house the way it was. She couldn't even begin to realize how hard it would be to leave everything she'd worked for. "I'll see what I can do." She opened her trunk. It was full of all the stuff from her shopping spree the day before... She had forgotten to take it all out. Becky cringed, biting her lip. Then, she slowly began to throw the bags in a nearby, snow-covered bush. "Maybe I can come back for them..." 

"Oh, Becky, don't..." Jessie protested. "All your stuff..." Becky looked up. "I'm sorry... We just have to leave. Nina's planning to kidnap Jasmine... and..." 

"It's okay, Jess. I can get more clothes. These..." She motioned to the books, and suddenly realized what they were. "Are priceless..." She finished, picking one up. 

"There's too many." Jessie said apologetically. I can put some of them back.." 

"Jessie... These are all your pictures!" Becky's eyes were starting to water. "Are these for James?" Each book was filled with hundreds of pictures of Jasmine. Every pose, every outfit, every activity you could imagine was carefully documented, with little notes and comments scribbled in the margins. "It's like a diary..." 

Jessie blushed. "I wanted him to know what it's like to be a parent." She admitted. "I wanted to make him feel like he was part of her childhood." She set down a box stuffed full with video tapes. "Her birth, her birthdays... Everything I could get on tape. I only have a few other things." She said softly. 

"Jessie, they're wonderful!" Becky smiled through her tears. "He'll love them!" Jessie beamed at that, and headed back in for the last armload of stuff. 

"Hiya, Aunt Becky!" Jasmine giggled running up and squeezing one of Becky's legs. "We're all goin on vacation!" She grinned up at her. "Are you coming, too?" Becky nodded. "Yaaay! We're gonna have a party!" Jasmine broke out into an impromptu song. "An' we're gonna have, FUN! And we're gonna, play!" The song didn't rhyme, or even have a melody, but the cheery mood helped everyone. 

"Good for you, Jasmine." Mary laughed as she loaded her small suitcase into the back. "I think we have everything we need..." She turned to Jessie. "Are you ready to go, hun?" Jessie nodded, nudging Jasmine towards the car. 

"We have to go now, Jasmine..." She said gently. "Say goodbye to the house, now." 

"Bye bye, house!" Jasmine yelled, waving at it. "I'll miss ya!" She blew it some kisses. "Be a good house, now. I don't wanna live in a bad neighborhood." She said it sternly, and everyone laughed again. "Bye!" 

"Oh, wait!" Jessie yelled. "I forgot something!" Becky looked at her nervously. "It'll only take a minute." 

"But Jessie..." Becky shook her head as Jessie cut across the grass to the front door. "She gets it from her mother." She grumbled. "This isn't safe..." She looked in the rearview mirror. "Oh, my God..." 

Jessie ran into her bedroom, looking around. She grabbed the picture on her bedstand, then opened the bottom drawer of her dresser. Reaching in, she pulled out a small cardboard box. Slowly, she opened the lid, drawing in her breath. 

At first glance, the box seemed to full of nothing but thin, wispy material. With closer inspection, however, you might notice a few seams or beaded designs. And, upon removing the object, you would find that it was a beautiful wedding dress. Her mother's wedding dress. "_How could I forget this?_" She chided herself, her eyes welling with tears. 

The walls, the furniture, the curtains... The house and everything in it had been chosen and bought by Nina. Even after six years, she had always considered this her house. Never her home. Only a few precious things in this pathetic building meant anything to her. This was the most important of them. She clutched it to her chest, whimpering. "Mommy..." 

A wild honking interrupted her. She turned to the window to see Becky honking desperately, waving at Jessie to hurry. A glance down the road showed why. A black car swerved around the corner, aiming for the small car parked outside her house. "**Just Go!**"She screamed, waving. She hadn't expected them to get here so quickly... They must have realized that was had been her on the phone. Becky shook her head. "**Now!**!" she hollered. "GO!" Becky shook her head again, but slammed on the gas. 

"What about Mommy?!" Jasmine screamed. "We have to wait for Mommy!" Mary shook her head, hugging Jasmine against her. "Mommy!" She started pounding on the window. "MOMMY!!!" She sobbed. "MO-MMMMY!" 

"Jasmine please!" Becky protested. "You're making things harder! We can't..." She glanced in the rearview mirror. The car sped on their tail, closing in on them, but a second car had also rounded the corner, stopping in front of the house. "Oh, no..." 

Jessie heard the sound of gravel flying as the dark car screeched onto the lawn. So much for that way out. She ran to the window and looked down. Second story... A few years ago, she wouldn't have thought twice about it. Now.... She held her breath, clutching her precious box to her chest. "Here goes nothing..." She squeezed her eyes shut, leaping out. 

*Pop!* Something in her ankle displaced, and she fell to the ground. No time to worry about it, though. She could already hear the men running through the house. They would see the open window... She painfully got to her feet, running for the back fence. 

"There she goes! After her!" A voice from behind her yelled, hardly audible over the sound of barking dogs. She looked up to see several ferocious growlithes leaning out of the window, barely restrained by equally- ferocious looking masters. "Calm down." The leader said. "She can't escape. Let's go around... Leave someone in the front, so she doesn't double back." 

Jessie gulped. This looked bad. Really bad. She gingerly made her way over the fence, stumbling to the ground in the alleyway behind her house. Groping around, she found her beloved package again, hugging it tightly. She held it against her, struggling to rise. Her ankle screamed in violent protest, then gave out entirely. "No..." She fell into a frigid puddle of half-melted snow. 

"There she is." One of the men said menacingly, walking towards her. Jessie cowered back against the fence, shivering from the intense fear and cold. "No more running, eh?" He bent down, reaching one hand out for her... She leaned away, closing her eyes. 

"_James.... I love you._" She thought sadly. "_Jasmine, I'm sorry I wasn't the mommy you deserved..._" Suddenly, she heard the sound of a growling dog. She opened one eye to see the largest of the dogs biting the man's leg. 

"Awww, hell." The man griped, kicking it away. "Who let that one in?" He kicked it again, and it ran in front of Jessie, growling dangerously. 

"Growlie?" Jessie whispered, touching his warm fur softly. He turned, licking her hand quickly, then resumed his protective stance. "Growlie..." He had been so wary of her at first, during her brief stay at the manor. However, they had quickly learned to tolerate each other. She had never expected this, though. 

As the men drew closer, He threw himself at one, barking savagely. He knocked one over, then went for the arm of another. "Dammit! Somebody get that friggin' dog!" One of the men yelled, reaching for his pistol. 

"No!" Jessie screamed, reaching out one hand weakly. "Don't hurt him..." Her body was going numb from the intense cold, she felt so weak... She was beginning to feel tired as well. "Noooo...." She mumbled again, falling back into the ice-cold slush. "I..." Things were going dark around her. She felt numb, she felt exhausted... No longer could she feel the intense pain from her ankle. She couldn't feel her legs at all... She couldn't even keep her eyes open anymore. "I...." She let go of the last of her consciousness. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The first thing Jessie noticed upon waking up was that she was alive, not dead. Things could only go up from there. The second thing she noticed was how surprisingly warm she felt... Another good sign. Was she in a bed? That's what it felt like. But she was almost naked... That certainly went on the minus side of the score board. In fact, the only thing she was wearing was her underwear... She attempted to roll onto her back, but a sharp pain in her ankle stopped her. It didn't feel broken, thank goodness, but it certainly didn't tickle to move it. She winced in agony, turning back onto her side. As she snuggled into the blankets she became aware of breathing behind her. 

She froze. There was someone else in the bed?! She didn't want to turn, she had learned her lesson earlier. But, what should she do? She reached out with one hand, groping around. She felt an arm... and hit it as hard as she could. 

"Owch!" She heard a familiar scream as the not-so-phantom other person slid out of the bed, slamming his head on the floor. "Owwwww...." James grumbled, sitting up. "Did you have to?" He shook his head, tapping it lightly, then looked over. 

"James!" She yelled, turning to look at him despite her pain. "I, you... How...How?" She pulled the blankets slightly closer, covering herself defensively. "What's happening?" He looked at her, then leapt to his feet. "How did I get here?" She asked, leaning back more. As he stood up, Jessie noticed he was in a suit. "James..." 

"Jessie!" He gulped, stepping towards her. "I'm so sorry..." He stepped back, giving her space. "I, I... was just watching on you, when I fell asleep. I guess..." He said uncomfortably. "I was going to your house, when I saw those men going after you... I panicked and called out Victreebel. He used his sleep powder, and I guess it got you, too..." 

"He listens to you, now?" Jessie asked, genuinely impressed. James blushed and shook his head, and she smiled. He smiled too, and they both grinned at each other until Jessie remembered the current circumstances. Suddenly she became stern. "Where are my clothes, James?" He blushed furiously. 

"They were soaked. You were getting hypothermic, but I was afraid to take you to the hospital. I wasn't sure if Mom would find you there, so I brought you here." He paused, then said slowly. "I took off your clothes because they were freezing, and it was making you even colder. I wrapped you up in blankets. And I didn't look." He seemed almost proud of himself, but then he blushed. "Not that much, anyway..." He admitted guiltily 

He looked at the floor for a moment, then back at her. He gazed into her eyes, clearing his throat. He wanted to make sure she was comfortable first, before he talked to her. After a few more seconds of looking at her soft blue eyes, he couldn't wait. "I was coming to ask you to forgive me... for not doing my part." He said quietly, looking around on the floor. He grabbed a slightly-wilted bouquet of beautiful flowers off the ground, resting them in her lap... 

"Your part?" She asked. He leaned forward, taking her hand gently. She gulped, unsure of how to react as he began kissing the tips of her fingers, lightly brushing them against his soft lips. "James..." She had been dreaming of this for years, but she wasn't sure how to react. After all this time, she could hardly believe he was even there. 

"Jasmine..." He stopped kissing for a moment, holding the hand against his chest. "I've thought of every man it could be, and..." He held his breath. "There's only one I can think of...." He looked straight into her eyes. "Is it...?" 

She looked away. "I can understand only being able to think of one man... Jasmine's father _was_ the only man I ever truly loved. The only man I ever will love... And..." She looked back to him. "I love you, James." 

"Jessie..." He leaned forward a little more, leaning on one hand as he stroked her face. "Oh, Jess...." She rubbed her cheek against the soft warmth of his hand, letting a single tear slip down her cheek. 

"I've wanted to tell you... I wanted to so badly... For so long...." She looked down slightly. "That's why I was so mean to you, that first day. I was afraid I would say it... That I would throw it all away." She cleared her throat. "Although, it didn't do any good at the end. I hated being Nina's pawn like that, but I just wanted to protect Jasmine." She looked back up at him. "James, are you..." 

"Are you mad at me?" he cut her off, half finishing her sentence, half asking it himself.. "If you are, I can understand..." He began toying with her hair absent-mindedly. "I've been a horrible father, a horrible dad." He turned away in shame. "I've neglected Jasmine.... I've let her down as a parent. And that's horrible..." He hung his head in shame, then glanced at her nervously. "But I've neglected you, too." His eyes welled with tears. "You don't need to forgive me, neither of you do. I know I don't deserve it." 

She touched his cheek. "I left you, remember? I'm the one who should apologize." He shook his head. 

"I said things I shouldn't have, and I should have waited for you to try to explain yourself. I understand why you left..." He looked straight into her eyes. "Will you forgive me?" He pulled out a small velvet box. "Can I make it right, now?" 

"Only if you forgive me, too." She whispered, falling into his arms. "Oh, James..." She whimpered gently, crying freely as she buried her face in his neck. "Only if you'll forgive me..." 

"Oh, Jessie." He cried back, squeezing her against him. "Of course..." They leaned into each other's arms, crying on each other over the lost years, and over finally being re-united. After all those years, it was indescribable. She could hardly believe this was happening... As she pulled back, he caught her lips with his. "Jess..." He opened the box. "It's the same ring, but I made a few changes... I thought it was appropriate, since I'm getting a better deal." Jessie gasped. The original diamond was now nestled on the side of a small ruby heart, with a matching little stone on the other side. 

"James..." She wasn't sure whether to be shocked or ecstatic... maybe both? Definitely both. "It's beautiful..." He slid it on her finger, and she started crying again. She wrapped her arms around him, pulling him against her. Six years... For six years she had been waiting... She'd been totally alone. "James, I love you." He answered her with a sweet smile and another kiss, letting his lips gently caress her cheek. "I..." She closed her eyes. This was heaven... Suddenly, he pulled back. For a second, she was afraid she had done something wrong, but he smiled. 

"Your clothes are probably dry, now." He said quietly. "I'll get them for you. Besides.." He was cut off as Growlie nudged him aside to get onto the bed, nuzzling Jessie's hand. "He's worried about you, too." He flashed her an adorable grin, then headed for the door Growlie had just come in. "Later. When we're alone." He turned to look at her one last time, then forced himself to turn away. 

He stepped out of the room, leaving Jessie with Growlie and her thoughts. And boy, did she have a lot of them. She sighed. "Nice going, mutt." She said in half jest. "Since when did you start getting between us?" She looked at her feet quietly, wondering what she should do. Growlie watched her, panting happily. "You don't understand a word I'm saying, do you?" He licked her hand in response. 

"Jessie?" She jumped slightly, spinning to face him. "Where is Jasmine, now?" He put a small pile of clothes on the bed, then turned away. "She's safe, right?" He asked, staring out the window as he did his best to avoid the distracting sound of clothes rumpling as she put them on. 

"I think so..." She slipped her jacket on, looking at him. "Your mother doesn't want to hurt her. But, if she's got her... We need to find out." She looked around, her eyes landing on his. "Before we worry about ourselves.." She said quietly, attempting to convince herself. James nodded sullenly. "But how..." Her eyes brightened. "Becky has a cell phone!" She exclaimed, reaching for the phone. "We can call her!" 

James looked at her. "I have to talk to her... I hope she forgives me.." He took Jessie's hand gently. "As easily as you did..." She smiled timidly as she dialed the number. 

"I'm sure she will, James." He gave her a relieved grin as she held up the phone, listening to the rings. "I'm sure..." A female voice answered. "Becky, I... Mrs. Nina!" 

"Mom?!" James yelled, jumping to his feet. "Jessie, let me..." He reached for the phone, but she yanked it away. "Mom, if you touch her I swear...." He stopped, unsure of what to say. His parents scared him way too much for him to actually threaten them... 

"Hello, child." The cold voice on the other end answered. "Is my son there?" Jessie stammered something, and Nina smiled. "Tell him his daughter wants to talk to him." She said smugly. Jessie went totally pale, wordlessly handing the phone to James. "James." Her voice was warm and dripping with false sweetness. "You have a charming daughter..." a faint struggling could be heard in the distance, and Nina let out a small grunt as if someone had kicked her. "She's got horrible manners, though." She said more coldly. "You'd think she'd been raised by a banshee." 

"Let her go, Mom." James said as forcefully as he dared. "You'll never get away with this." Her cackle sent chills down his spine. 

"Son, son, son..." She laughed. "I already have." James went slightly tense. "James." She was suddenly rather angry. "I expect to see you and that little whore of yours at our house tonight." James gulped slightly. "Don't be late." The line went dead. 

"James?" He turned to look at her. "What are we gonna do?" He looked at her for a moment, then shook his head. "James? We can't let her do this..." Jessie pleaded, reaching out for his shoulder. "She can't win..." 

"We don't have a choice." He whispered, his eyes brimming with tears. He turned to her, his eyes were running over. "I can't let her hurt Jasmine..." He wrapped his arms around her, hugging her tightly against his chest. "Or you... I'm sorry, Jessie." He squeezed her until she gagged slightly. "Jess...." After all these years, would he have to say goodbye again so soon? His heart was pounding, his mouth was totally dry. 

"James?" He looked down at her. "It's okay, James." She said quietly. She had forgotten this feeling, too... like Jasmine, James needed her. As much as she needed both of them. She closed her eyes, her cheeks warm with a gentle blush. "We can do this, James... We always come out on top." 

"I don't know, Jessie..." He whispered. "After all this time looking for you... To lose you again..." He held onto her for a few more seconds, then released her. "But then... To lose Jasmine..." She looked into his eyes. "...Before I could talk to her... That would be even worse." He hung his head sadly. "I guess I have no choice." 

"We don't." Jessie agreed. "Except to hope for the best... and never get separated." She stood hazardously, resting all her weight on her good foot, and looked up expectantly. "We haven't got much time. It's already getting dark." He nodded, offering her his arm, and she gingerly limped with him to the door. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jessie shuddered as they reached the huge cast-iron gates that lead to the inner driveway. James offered her a reassuring hand on her shoulder as he pressed the button to call the butler. "I don't like this..." She said quietly, leaning against his shoulder. From the back seat, Growlie barked angrily at the door. 

"Neither do I." He admitted as Hopkins came on the line. "Hi, Foote. It's..." 

"Welcome, master." Foote said coolly. "We have been expecting you. Please enter." With a clang, the doors swung open. 

"He's awfully quiet..." James noted. "When he's not yelling, you know it's bad." Jessie gulped, clinging harder to his arm until it was hard to steer. As he pulled into the inner court, he turned to her. "Are you ready?" He said quietly. She nodded rapidly. "Never let go of my arm." He reminded her. "If they separate us..." He didn't even want to know what would happen. "Just remember." He added more quietly. "You promised me you wouldn't leave me to raise a child alone." With that, he leaned over, kissing her softly. "We'll make it together, right?" 

"We always do..." She whispered, savoring his hot breath against his lips. She really wasn't sure. His parents were insane... But in his arms, anything was possible. She hugged him tighter, wishing this moment could last forever... 

But, no. They had put off growing up for too long already. It was time to become the real family she had always wanted for Jasmine... A mommy, and a daddy... And, at least for these few short minutes, they would be. 

James stepped out of the car, letting Growlie out the back door, then opened the door for Jessie. "Here goes nothing..." He muttered, helping her to her feet and putting his arm around her waist for support. "If she's touched Jasmine, then I'll..." He shook his head. "I don't know what I'll do." He looked at her. "She wouldn't... Would she?" 

"It's your Mother we're talking about, here. I don't know..." She nearly yelled at him, but then caught herself. "She's crazy, James." He nodded. "I don't think she'll hurt her yet, though." Jessie tried to comfort him. "I think..." She was cut off as the heavy door opened in front of them. 

"Good day, Master James." Foote greeted coldly. "Hello..." He stumbled over a word to call her, and finally just settled for a nod in her direction. "Your mother will be quite happy to see that you've finally decided to take your role in the Sassaké family seriously. Come in, please." As the two walked in, Hopkins slammed the door, locking Growlie out. "Just the two of you." He explained. 

"I'm not here to become your stupid spokesperson." James grumbled through clenched teeth. "I'm here for my daughter." Foote snorted slightly, but wordlessly lead them into the main hall. "Where is she?" he demanded. 

"I'm right here." A rather sinister voice called from behind them. James turned to his mother, instinctively pushing Jessie behind him for protection. Which was just what they wanted... 

"Jammmmph!" Jessie screamed as the butler's hand came down on her mouth. 

"Jessie!" James screamed, turning to her. "Let her go!" He stepped forward, running to help her, but felt his mother's arms wrap around him. "Get your hands off of..." He felt her press a slightly damp cloth against his mouth. "No... Jessie! Jasmine...." His voice trailed off as his eyes became dull. "Jasmine..." 

"You'll thank me for this later, son." Nina grinned as the young man fell to the floor. "Hopkins?" She turned to the large butler holding Jessie's limp body. "Look at how cute James is, all curled up on the floor. I always liked my children best when they were unconscious." She mused, looking him over. "Lance? Where are you, dearest? Your son's come home!" 

"I don't know about this, precious." The elder man said nervously. "After all, the boy is a grown man. Shouldn't we let him...?" She cut him off. 

"A grown man never would have gotten into this sort of mess, Darling." She said coldly. "Do you have any idea how hard it is to keep this from the girls? 'Oh, Nina darling, Where is that adorable son of yours? Has he finally settled down?' What am I supposed to say to them?!" She stamped her foot. "Hopkins, take the little demimondaine away. I'm calling Jessibel." 

"Jessibel? But precious..." She turned and gave him a warning look, and he went quiet. She stalked out of the room. Foote withdrew, taking Jessie with him and leaving Lance to his own dark thoughts. "Why, son?" He mused aloud to his sleeping son. "Why did you have to let it go this far?" He stood up, pacing back and forth as if he were giving a lecture. "Why couldn't you have just settled down with Jessibel? Why are you doing this to your mother and I? Do you like to torment us?!" He demanded, but James, of course, gave no answer. Lance sighed and sat back down. "What are we going to tell your daughter?" 

As if on cue, a bubbling giggle echoed through the hall. Lance sighed bittersweetly. It had been so long since there had been laughter in the manor. Sometimes, he questioned his Precious' logic, raising a child to be perfect. Perfection was meant for paintings and floor plans and designs, and things like that. It was never meant for people, and certainly not for little boys. "Did we do this to you?" He finally asked. 

"Hi, Grandpa!" A sweet voice called from the entrance. "What'cha doing?" Her eyes widened. "DADDY!" She screamed happily, jumping onto James. "Daddy, Daddy, Daddy!" She chanted, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I knew you'd come back, Daddy!" The young man barely stirred. 

---

"Hello, Jessibel speaking." A voice with a soft southern accent answered the phone. "May I help y'all?" She asked nicely. 

"Jessibel, darling." Nina gushed. "We've finally gotten James to come home. We'll take care of his little mistress and her deplorable little child tonight." She smiled wickedly. "And you two can be married by tomorrow. It's a perfect plan. Without her, James will be too pathetic to protest... He'll be easy to tame." 

"Mmhmm..." Jessibel said quietly. 

"And then, you and James can become the perfect heirs to the Sassaké family." Nina finished with a flair. "Like you were always meant to be." she paused, waiting for Jessibel to comment. "Dear? Are you still their?" she questioned. 

"Don't call me anymore, ma'am." Jessibel said tiredly. Then, she began to hang up the phone. "It was nobody, darling." She called as she hung up the phone. "Just a wrong number, dear. I'm comin' back to bed." 

"You little tramp!" Nina hissed. "What about the engagement?!" 

"Listen here, Missus Nina!" Jessibel yelled back, taking the phone to her ear again. "James-Dea... James had _her_ daughter. He's made his li'll choice. I know when I'm beaten. You should learn..." Jessibel's voice was tainted slightly with sadness. "The minute I saw that li'll girl, I knew I'd lost... James is a gentleman!" She said defensively. "And if a gentleman has a lady's daughter, so help me, God! He will do whatever it takes to marry her. An' that's just what James is doing! He can marry that girl until he turns blue, for all I care! Good day!" Then the line went dead. 

"Why, that little...." Nina growled, clenching the phone. "How dare she!" With an aggravated scream, she tossed the phone at a nearby mirror. "Well, James, it looks like you'll be staying with your 'family' after all." She growled, storming back towards the room her son was in. 

---

"Dad-dy." Jasmine said teasingly, tickling him under the nose with the tip of her hair as she sat on his chest. "Dad-dy." He shooed her hand away, sneezing slightly. "Wake up, Daddy!" Jasmine said, slightly more frustrated. "Wake up!" She turned to Lance. "What's wrong with Daddy?" She asked exasperatedly. "Why won't he wake up?" Lance shook his head. 

"He's sleeping?" He offered lamely. "Your Daddy has had a big day." On 'daddy', he shivered slightly. "Why do you call him 'Daddy'?" James had always referred to him as 'Father', even from a very early age. 

"Because he** is** my Daddy." She said simply. "He's my Daddy 'cause he loves me, and he loves my Mommy, and to-later, when I get bigger and we go home, he's gonna marry Mommy!" She spread her arms and bounced on his chest a little. "And we're gonna have a party, and I'll have flowers, and then.... we'll all eat lots of cake!" She laughed, pretending to shovel food into her mouth. "Yum, yum, yum... Until it's all gone!" 

Lance laughed painfully. "It sounds like you really love your parents." He commented nervously. She nodded. "And it sounds like they really love you..." She nodded again. 

"Oh course." She said confidentially. "All kids love their parents, and all Mommies an' Daddies love their children. Right?" He gulped quietly. 

"That's what we like to think." He said uncomfortably. "Unfortunately, it's not always that simple..." Just then, James stirred again. Lance held his breath, frozen as the young man mumbled something groggily, then opened his eyes. 

"Father!" He yelled. "Jasmine!" He grabbed her arm, pulling her against him. "Jasmine... Oh, Jazz, you're safe!" He held her tightly. "Thank God you're alright." He snuggled his head into her neck, fighting back tears. "My little girl... My daughter." He nearly choked on the words. "My little angel." 

Lance looked down at his child. "Son?" James didn't answer. "James, about what's happening..." He turned even further away. "James?" 

"Jessie." He growled. "Where is she? What have you done with her?" He turned to his father. "What did you do to Jessie?!" He turned, his eyes full of hurt. "Father, how could you..." He hugged Jasmine tighter to his chest, as if her were afraid that his father would try to rip her out of his hands. 

"It's what's best for you, son!" Lance protested weakly. "We only want you to become the heir this family needs!" James glared back. 

"Like hell it's what's best for me!" James yelled, then calmed slightly. "Father, I _love_ Jessie. I love Jasmine." He said, his voice faltering. "No matter what you do to them, I'll never become what you want. I'm sorry." Lance looked up, surprised. "I know I've never been that perfect son you wanted. I tried, Father, really... I just couldn't. I just couldn't fit the image you wanted. I tried so hard... I still do. I'm just a loser..." He looked straight into his father's eyes. "But please, Father. Don't take it out on my family. Don't take it out on the people I love most." 

"Gandpa?" Lance turned to the little girl. "Where is my Mommy?" Lance gulped. "When is she coming here? She misses Daddy, too." She looked at him innocently. "Will she be here soon?" Lance looked at the young child, then at James. 

"I.... I..." He had always assumed that James had goofed off as a kid. He had never realized that James had done anything in his life to try to please him and Nina. This whole thing was getting horribly out of hand. He stood up. "I had nothing to do with this. You should go, James. Take Jasmine and leave. Then, at least she'll be safe." He turned. "If you stay, I can't promise anything." 

"And leave Jessie?! Over my dead body!" James yelled, rising to his feet. "I'm not going until..." 

"It WILL be over your dead body if you don't get out of here!" Lance yelled. "Don't you see?! Precious has lost her sense. I don't want to see you get killed!" 

"All I see is a man with no spine!" James screamed back. "You're worse than I'll ever be! I refuse to leave Jessie, I refuse to leave _Jasmine's mother_ to die! I'm not leaving without her!!" Jasmine started to cry, and he picked her up. 

"Daddy, why are you yelling?" She gulped between sobs. "Why are you so angry? Where's Mommy?" He hugged her tightly. "I wanna go home..." James looked at her sadly. "I wanna see Mommy..." James turned from her, to his father, then back. 

"Jazzy..." He kissed her cheek. "I'm sorry I yelled." He bounced her slightly in his arms. "Cheer up. Jess... Your Mommy will be okay." Jasmine sniffled, then looked up at him. "Really. It'll be okay, Jazz. I won't abandon you _or_ your Mommy. I..." Before he could say anything else, Nina stormed in. "Mother!" he gasped, standing up. Jasmine clung to his leg, hiding behind him slightly. 

"Don't 'Mother' me, James." Nina growled, taking Jasmine by the collar. James rushed to grab her, but was restrained by Foote. "I'd suggest you come quietly, James. If you get cocky with me, I can assure you you'll never see your little whore again as long as she lives!" Nina warned, holding Jasmine's shoulder tightly. 

"Get your hands off of her, mother!!" James screamed, struggling against his butler's iron grip. "You can't do this!" 

"I _can_, and _am_." She said coldly, dragging Jasmine after her. "Come along." James, stuck in a headlock, had no choice but to follow. Mr. Sassaké followed worriedly from a distance. 

"James! Jasmine!!" Jessie exclaimed as the door opened. She had been locked in a small bedroom, and was pacing furiously as she searched for a way out. Nina threw Jasmine in, then beckoned Hopkins. Jessie slid to the floor, grabbing Jasmine. "Oh, Jazz... I'm so glad you're safe." She whispered. 

"Not for long." Nina replied coldly. "I should have known this would happen. James will never learn to accept the responsibilities cast on him. And you..." Nina pulled a pistol out of her purse. "Shall never become his wife." 

"Mother! No!!!" James shrieked hoarsely. "No!" He struggled against Hopkins again, finally freeing himself. "Mother, you can't!" He stood in front of her. She glared back. 

"Don't you take that tone of voice with me, young man." She growled back. "Wait your turn." He looked at her, shocked. "She's the one that ruined your chance at ever being a gentleman. She goes first. Then your little daughter. And then..." She grinned wickedly, leveling off the gun. "Mommy always knows best, dear. You should have listened to me." 

"Mother..." James backed up, feeling his legs go weak. "You wouldn't..." He fell back into a sitting position on the bed. "Jess?" He reached for her hand, and found out she had fainted. "Jessie?" His vision was clouding over... He felt himself losing consciousness. 

"Daddy." His hand touched a tiny finger, and he looked over. "What's wrong, Daddy?" She asked, taking his hand. "Are you okay?" He shook his head. "Awww... You need a hug, don't you?" She hugged him tightly. "There you go. Is that better?" 

"Jazz..." He said, disoriented. "Jasmine?" He hugged her back, crying. "Jasmine, I'm so sorry. I'm the worst Daddy in the world." He sobbed. "Can you forgive me?" 

"Nu-uh, Daddy." He froze, but she continued. "You're not the worst Daddy in the world. You're the best!" He grinned sadly. 

"Thank you, Jasmine." He said. "You have no idea how much that means to me." 

"How touching." Nina said coldly. "That's right, get a nice goodbye." She aimed the gun again. 

"Precious, that's enough!" Lance yelled. "Stop this insanity immediately!" She turned to him. 

"Dad?!" James said quietly. In all the years he'd lived here, he'd never seen his father stand up to his mother. Lance smiled back weakly. 

"Dearest, what do you mean?" Nina said, shocked. "Insanity? I'm only doing what's best!" 

"What you're doing is punishing James for the best thing he's done in his life. Back when he was a common criminal, you merely called him a delinquent. Now, he's supporting himself and trying to marry the woman he loves. He's taken on more responsibilities then he'd ever have here. And for that, you want him dead?" 

Nina looked from her son to her husband. "I..." Her gaze drifted to the young woman lying on the bed, and her gaze hardened. "I can't let this happen." She leveled the gun off at Jessie. "Not in my family." 

"No!" James and Lance both yelled at the same time. 

_The next few seconds slowed to a sickening crawl. James pushed Jasmine out of his lap, shoving her onto the bed behind him, and dove in front of Jessie. At the same instant, Jessie awoke slightly and raised herself into a sitting position to try to see what was happening. In the meantime, Lance grabbed Nina's hand, trying to take the gun away, and her hand jerked upwards. Involuntarily, she pulled the trigger..._

"JESSIE!!!!!" James caught her as she fell back against the bed. "JESSIE!!!" She gave no response. 

"Hopkins! Call an ambulance!" Lance ordered. "Keep an eye on Nina, too!" He ran to get a first-aid kit. Jasmine ran after him, asking what happened. 

"Jessie...." James shook her gently. "Jessie... You have to live, Jess!" You can't leave me, not like this." Her face was getting whiter by the second. "Jessie, please..." He gulped. "Can you hear me?" Still, nothing but the labored sound of her breathing. He went quiet, his eyes stinging with tears, lost in thought and sorrow. He had never dealt with death before... he had no idea what to do. "Jessie, I'm so sorry..." Finally, he picked her up gently. He could at least bring her to the main hall, where the paramedics could find them. "Jessica, you're the only reason I have to live." He whispered. "You can't go." 

"That's... not true." He looked at her face, hanging on her every word. "You have.... Jasmine." She whispered, her voice so hoarse he could hardly understand. "Promise me..... you'll take care... of her..." For a second, she forced her eyes open. 

"Anything." He set her down on a large overstuffed couch and hugged her. "Anything at all." She said nothing, and he continued. "Jessie, if you died, I'd be lost forever. I'd hate my life so much. But...." She looked into his eyes, and he cleared his throat. "For Jasmine's sake, I'd never let it show." Even with her waning strength, she managed to smile. 

"Thank you..." Her breath was slow and heavy, and her face was whiter than the silk pillow her head was resting on. "I... love... you..." Her eyes closed, and he felt her body going limp. 

"Jessie?!" He became acutely aware of the unbearable silence in the room as Jessie gave one last strangled gasp for air. "JESSIE!!" Even the men in the ambulance could hear him as he called her name one last time. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Why do I hafta dress like this?" Jasmine complained. "This is so itchy..." 

"It's one of those things, Jasmine." Mary said gently. "There are going to be a lot of relatives that you haven't seen in a while. The ones you meet only on special occasions. You have to look your best." 

"Don't call me Jasmine." Jasmine said. "I wanna be 'Jessy' now. Like Daddy always called Mommy." She looked at Mary. "I had a dream last night. I dreamed Mommy came home from the hospital." She looked at her feet. "I miss her, Auntie." 

"Oh.... I know you do, honey." Mary said quietly. "But remember. You have to be really nice for your daddy. He's been at the hospital for days, and he's hardly been sleeping. He'll want you to act like the angel you are so often, and make him feel better." 

"I guess." Jasmine said. "But I still wish Mommy would come home." 

"I know, Jass.. Jessy." Mary said. "I..." The phone began ringing. "That's probably your daddy on the phone now!" She said, rushing for it. 

Jasmine looked at the wall, admiring the pictures. The wall was covered in them. The moment James had seen Jessie's albums, he had wanted to plaster the house with them. This wall had pictures of her as a little girl... All except the last one. 

"Yes, of course." Mary replied. "I understand... Really?! Oh, Jessy will be thrilled... No, no, not her... Jasmine wants to be called Jessy now. I know. She thinks it's wonderful... What?! I thought the doctors said she had hours left! ...I guess...Yeah... They can be... Oh dear... Are you okay? Good. You're taking this so well... Well, I'll tell her that now... Uh-huh... Bye, James." 

"Auntie Mary, is something wrong?" Jasmine asked, walking over. "You're crying." 

"Jasmine... Jessy... your mommy... well..." Mary hesitated. 

"Yeah? What about Mommy? Jasmine asked. 

"Well... You have a little sister!" Mary burst out sobbing. "Jess had a little girl. Remember, the doctor said she would be here this afternoon? Well, She's early! You're a big sister! It's so sweet..." Mary wiped her eyes. "Your father was so excited... he started laughing, because he's so happy. I promised him I'd bring you down there to meet her as soon as possible." 

"Yes! Yahoo!" Jasmine yelled, spinning around. "I gotta little sister! I gotta little sister! I gotta little sister!" She started doing a chicken dance. "I gotta little sister!" Mary laughed. 

"Come on, dear. Your mommy is waiting." 

As they headed out the door, Mary's eye caught another of the pictures on the wall. It was her favorite... Jasmine was feeding James a piece of wedding cake while Jessie stood by laughing. Her mother's dress looked gorgeous on her. You could hardly tell she had almost died. 

Just two months before the wedding, the doctors had successfully removed the bullet from her ribcage, and sewed her back up. James had offered to postpone it, but Jessie had been so excited she had insisted. Somehow, she made it. 

Looking at the picture, Mary almost started crying again. It was hard to believe that was almost two years ago... And now, there was another child. It was so beautiful. 

But then, they _had_ earned it. 

**The End!**

^_^ Scared ya. Admit it. ^_^   
I'm still here... I know it's been a while, but I think it was worth it. I really liked this one. I don't normally like 'em, but this one turned out really well, eh? That 'I always liked my children best when they were unconscious' quote is also from the play 'Nina in the Morning', where I got most of the names. My niece says 'to-later', when she means 'sometime that isn't right now.' I think it's adorable. I also taught her to chicken-dance, which is why I made Jasmine do it. 

Lessee... There were some pretty big words, too. Like that demimondaine. It's just fancy talk for 'loose woman', though. A big hand goes out to TheGreatNat, who's been my editor for several stories. Thanx! ^_^ I'm gonna go finish _The Dance_ like a good girl now, but after I finish some of the stories I've planned, I'll most likely add onto this series. Probably the wedding. I didn't explain it much, but it was cute. ^_^ I luv weddings. 


End file.
